I wouldn't disagree that snobbishness is present in the running community, but there are standards that must hold for a course to be "record-eligible" (by the d

I wouldn't disagree that snobbishness is present in the running community, but there are standards that must hold for a course to be "record-eligible" (by the dominant athletic organizations). In sprints on a track, this includes the wind. I'm not sure if distance events include wind. But marathon courses must start and end "near" the same location (be a loop course, more or less) to avoid being wind-aided the entire time, and to avoid an overall elevation drop. The course of the Boston marathon is notable in that it is not record-eligible. It is not a loop, and there is a net elevation drop. In 2011, there was a tailwind at Boston, resulting in abnormally quick times, including Ryan Hall's 2:04:58, which would have been an American record, but is not due to the course [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Hall_(runner)#Sub-2:05:00_at_the_2011_Boston_Marathon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Hall_(runner)#Sub-2:05:00...