Because courses degrade over time, the USATF Road Running Technical Council decided in 1992 that all certifications would expire automatically 10 years after the year of issue. Initially, expired courses could be renewed upon testimony that the course was still in use and had not been altered. Then, in 2000, RRTC decided that such testimony is not adequate to overcome the uncertainty that inevitably creeps into every course; therefore, all courses must simply expire after 10 years, without any possibility of renewal.
The non-renewable policy adopted in 2000 was phased in over a 10-year period. That period ended at the end of 2011. All courses that were renewed at any time have expired. Expired courses are no longer renewable, but they must be re-measured in order to be recertified.