Course certifier makes the Philadelphia Marathon official

WITH MORE THAN 25,000 runners circling the city and thousands of spectators cheering them on, the 18th annual Philadelphia Marathon will be quite a show Sunday morning.

But it's the people behind the scenes who make such an enormous sporting event possible, and none of those people is more important than 82-year-old course certifier Bill Belleville.

Often riding his bicycle down Kelly Drive as early as 2 a.m. to avoid traffic, Belleville's job is to make certain that the mileage of the course is as precise as possible. As the go-to regional certifier for races in Pennsylvania, Belleville takes his work very seriously.

"I'm very detail-oriented. I make good maps and enjoy turning out work that must be done," said Belleville, who lives in Ardmore. "There's not many people who want to do this, but as an ex-runner, I had an affinity to it."

Belleville, a retired civil engineer, goes as far north as Scranton and even takes calls to certify courses in neighboring states, but his deepest roots are here in Philadelphia. The Massachusetts native first moved to the area when his father's job brought the Belleville family to South Jersey. Belleville later attended Villanova and became a standout runner there.

He remained heavily involved in the Philadelphia running scene after graduating, and his first ever marathon was in Philly. Over the years, he continued to compete all over the Northeast, but eventually, his age caught up with him.

"I ran the Boston Marathon four times and probably was a little too active in running," he said. "Now, I have knees that tell me I shouldn't be running anymore."

Belleville wanted to stay involved in running somehow. With his engineering background, he was an ideal candidate to help lead a movement in the early 1980s to begin officially certifying races. Over the years, his mathematical skills and talent for drawing accurate maps have earned him a reputation as one of the best in the business.

Belleville estimates he has certified close to 400 courses throughout his 28 years on the job, but not much has changed over that period. He still uses the same bicycle with a hard-rubber front wheel and always makes sure to calibrate the mechanical counter attached to the axel before measuring.

"It's great when the weather's nice, but I don't particularly like getting a call in the middle of the winter when there's snow on the ground," Belleville said. "You have to fight the traffic and make sure that you really concentrate on what you're doing. I love a quiet neighborhood, but that really doesn't happen much."

His job is necessary because an official national record cannot be granted to a runner without certifying the course. The mandatory length for a marathon is 26.2 miles as mandated by the United States Track and Field Association.

"You have a lot of runners who want to know if a race was their personal best," Belleville said. "It draws a lot more runners when they know the course is certified."

Course certification is not the most profitable business, but it keeps Belleville, whose wife passed away 18 years ago, busy in retirement and deeply involved in the sport he loves. He has six children and nine grandchildren living in the area.

"I'm single, and this has given me the chance to go out at 2 a.m. and not have to report to anybody why I'm leaving the house," he said kiddingly.

Belleville has measured hundreds of courses, but it's clear that the Philadelphia Marathon is particularly special to him.

"Philly is a great place to run with some very beautiful scenery. It's quite a festive occasion," he said. "It's known as a fast marathon because it's relatively flat."

The fast times on Sunday morning wouldn't be official without the 82-year-old engineer and his bicycle.

The 18th annual women's Philadelphia Marathon could be anyone's race.

Mariska Kramer, of the Netherlands, and Jutta Merilainen, of Canada, who each won the marathon in 2010 and 2009, respectively, will both return to Philly on Sunday. Top locals - Doreen McCoubrie, of Malvern, Abby Dean, of Philadelphia, and Kathleen Jobes, of Bethlehem - will aim for Olympic Trials qualifying times of 2 hours, 46 minutes or less.

In the men's marathon, there will be no returning champion, but Ethiopian Tariku Bokan will lead a strong field that will look to break the course record of 2:16:47. Bokan holds a 2:12 marathon personal record and elite Kenyan Stephen Tanui has run a 1:00:30 half-marathon.

Top American Dave Bedoya, of Massachusetts, will return after finishing second last year with a time of 2:23:37. In addition, St. Joe's Prep track coach Greg Bielecki and Karl Savage, the owner of Jenkintown Running Co., both have the potential to see a sub 2:19 race, which would qualify them for the Olympic Trials Marathon.

In the women's half-marathon, Villanova five-time All-America Amanda Marino will look to impress in her debut in the event. For the men, Cardinal O'Hara graduate and 2009 Philly Half Marathon winner Steve Hallinan will look for another victory and an Olympic Trials qualifier.