Marathon run 0.8mi short
This NYT article from 2008 says they measure with a bicycle. Paden could automate that process and have time to measure twice.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/sports/olympics/15marathon.html
Some foot race organization has a standard procedure for measuring a course. I once read it and thought it good. They specified a bicycle with a certain kind of precise odometer, making it in effect a riding waywiser.
The rider was supposed to ride a straight taped line multiple times before and after riding the route, and other precautions were included, to obtain an accurate scale factor for the odometer with this rider weight at this tire pressure and temperature.
The cyclist was supposed to ride the shortest practical route, making sure to be tight to the inside of corners with some guidance on radius.
That shortest practical route would not be easily or unambiguously measured using surveying methods.
Sounds like this case was less of a measurement problem than coordination with those who marked the route for the runners.
I use to measure the lanes in the competition swimming pool at the local university before AND after swim meets (if a record of some sort had been set or broken). Some of their specs are fairly rigorous.
ps -For those that think the ends of an indoor concrete pool don't move....you're right. The pool was 'nominally' 50 meters in length, but the electronic touchpads placed sub-surface on the walls made the entire length critical, to the millimeter. The pool was also equipped with a moveable bulkhead for 25 meter competition. The bulkhead had to be swamped (filled with water) to stabilize it. Moving it 3mm on one side and 2mm on the other got difficult when it was full of 1000 gallons of water.
And I though land surveyors were picky. 😉
