- To compete in order to see who ran the fastest
- To determine who the best runner is
- To provide entertainment
- To build a career for the runners
- To show the result of the runners' talents, hard work, and dedication
- Build a sense of national pride, ...
My guess is that many people would think of the first point as the "real" purpose of a race. In that case, measuring as accurately as possible makes sense, since it will give the best answer.
If you agree to some extent that races are also about determining who the better runner is - then you must also consider that there is a point after which the runner doesn't control the outcome. Wind seems to be a big factor; the maximum allowed wind is 2 m/s, and the average tailwind for all world records since 1977 is 1.18 m/s (none were made with a headwind). The wind can't be exactly the same in different lanes, so for two very similar runners - there is also a bit of luck involved in the outcome.
> If you agree to some extent that races are also about determining who the better runner is
I don't agree with this to a meaningful extent. "Better" is too vague to be meaningful.
A purpose of the race is to determine who won the race. Sometimes that is to some extent the better runner, but not always. I don't care who the better runner is. I want to know who won the race.
Some potential purposes of a race:
- To compete in order to see who ran the fastest - To determine who the best runner is - To provide entertainment - To build a career for the runners - To show the result of the runners' talents, hard work, and dedication - Build a sense of national pride, ...
My guess is that many people would think of the first point as the "real" purpose of a race. In that case, measuring as accurately as possible makes sense, since it will give the best answer.
If you agree to some extent that races are also about determining who the better runner is - then you must also consider that there is a point after which the runner doesn't control the outcome. Wind seems to be a big factor; the maximum allowed wind is 2 m/s, and the average tailwind for all world records since 1977 is 1.18 m/s (none were made with a headwind). The wind can't be exactly the same in different lanes, so for two very similar runners - there is also a bit of luck involved in the outcome.