David Katz

David founded Finish Line Road Race Technicians in 1978. Since then the company has worked more than 3,000 events internationally, from California to Dakar, coordinating the technical side of road races and track and field meets and helping to set the standard for accuracy and professionalism in the sport.

He was the international road course measurer for the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and a member of the Olympic marathon measuring team in Los Angeles in 1984, Atlanta in 1996 and Paris in 2024. He served as World Athletics Technical Delegate for the marathon and race walks at the Tokyo Olympics, held in Sapporo, and at the Paris Games. An international road course measurer since 1985, he co-authored the World Athletics Road Course Measurement Manual and is World Athletics' road course administrator for the United States.

He served four four-year terms on the IAAF Technical Committee and two on the World Athletics Competition Commission. At the World Championships level he was Competition Director for the race walks and marathon in Budapest in 2023 and for the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in 2026. Closer to home, he ran the technical side of the Millrose Games from 1979 to 2011.

For USATF he chairs the Road Running Technical Council, sits on the Rules and Records Committees, and co-authored the Finish Line Manual. His honors include the USATF Officials Hall of Fame, the Robert Giegengack Award, the Ted Corbitt Award and the World Athletics Veterans Pin.

Through all of it, David taught science at Port Washington Middle School for 36 years.