Liza Recto still does not get it...

 ...and she continues to hurl thinly veiled insults at me (note the part about "experienced runners") and argue the irrelevant GPS case.  

She is testing my patience and tempting me to not take the high road as I have been doing. 



Mr. Galioto,
The reason runners are instructed to stay to the left, facing traffic, throughout the marathon course, is for safety, and because running that way would also result in the shortest possible course.  It would be irresponsible of us to instruct runners to run down the middle of the road to ensure the shortest possible course, when roads are open to traffic. Experienced runners know that running tangents ensures the shortest route, and that they are allowed to do so without risk of disqualification on unconed sections of a course, and they do so on the unrestricted sections of the course.  I have seen photographs.  Refer to the sections that I took from the USATF manual regarding coning, monitoring, and disqualification.
The runners start on the lefthand side of Rte 249, facing traffic.  When they cross the bridge to the island, they may run unrestricted according to the notes on the certification map.  As these roads are not closed to traffic, it would be prudent to stay to the left.  If you were running down the middle of the road and a car approached, it would make most sense to move to your left, for the sake of distance as well as safety.  Crossing the road to the right would add distance.  If you were to run with traffic on the right side of these uncurbed roads, you would likely add distance because you might be forced by traffic to follow the curve of the road, running on sand, grass, or mud.  Also, if you rounded the monitored turnaround cone from the right, you would add distance by having to return to the left side.   Upon returning to the mainland you resume running on the left side of Rte 249, and your next turn is to the left on Lighthouse Road.  Thus, the shortest way to approach the mainland from the island would be from the lefthand side of the road.
You are free to present your case to USATF, but as GPS is not 100% accurate, it is impossible to determine whether you indeed ran the distance indicated by your instrument.  Therefore I do not see how USATF could adjust your time as you see fit.
Liza Recto