Does a PR count if it wasn't in a race? (Read 1150 times)

Congrats on your PR. Although it's not official, there's no reason not to count it if you're sure it was reliably timed. Nothing wrong with that, IMO. I would, however, document all your 'official' PRs elsewhere. BTW, read my blog also if you want! I'm looking for some feedback, the only comments I've been getting recently are from spammers!

It is up to you dude. I just look at races. The other question here would be what about when the said distance is shorter or longer than what say a garmin forerunner shows. My half marathon on Saturday was .3 miles longer.

The other question here would be what about when the said distance is shorter or longer than what say a garmin forerunner shows. My half marathon on Saturday was .3 miles longer.

A Garmin should almost always measure longer than a race course. This is because because courses are based on the absolute shortest path (tangent lines) between the curves. If you're not on the absolute inside of a turn, or if you swing out in the slightest, you add distance (like running in an outside lane on a track). All of these add up over the course of a race. In fact, if your Garmin shows equal distance or measures shorter than the course, I would be concerned that the Garmin is janky or the course is screwed up. Unless the Garmin measured much longer than the course, and you ran some splits that made no sense (i.e. 8:00 pace the whole way, but a random mile in the middle that everyone ran in 9:30), I would accept the race course distance, and not the Garmin's. As far as PR's, your choice. My 1-mile PR (1600m actually) wasn't run during a race, but 4 times around a track is 4 times around a track. For a road course, use your judgement. Based on what I said above, since you broke your PR by 1:30, you likely would have PR'd on a race course.

I think everyone is going to have a slightly different answer for this, and that's okay. Some people only count certified race courses, and some people count training runs, etc. Wherever you fall, that's cool. Because in the end, only you know what you're running for. And as for me, I count anything reasonably measured (race course or using online mapping tools) as available for PR/PB. Good luck going forward!

A Garmin should almost always measure longer than a race course.

GPS devices can drop the satellites for a moment or two and cut corners. In cityscapes, among big hills and under dense trees, the GPS signal can be especially flaky. If it drops signal and cuts corners, this will lead to the device reading a shorter course.

Hence "almost".

Yeah, well if you drop your Garmin on the out, and pick it up on the back, it'll measure short. And I suppose if you run though a multi-dimensional wormhole that instantaneously teleports you to the finish line, then you'll end up measuring short. Any other wise-asses out there not understand "almost"?

yes, if on a certified course or a track with at least one witness and accurate timing. (those are my rules.)