Manual & Methodology
Public Beta Edition • October 26, 2026
The Kansas Ultrarunning Historical Foundation Manual & Methodology is the Foundation’s controlling public framework for how the archive defines its scope, evaluates evidence, determines verified performance eligibility, handles conflicting sources, documents corrections, accepts submissions, and preserves the relationships that make Kansas ultrarunning history understandable rather than merely searchable.
The Foundation publishes its methodology openly because historical authority should not depend on appearance, reputation, nonprofit status, or institutional language. Readers should be able to understand how a conclusion was reached, what evidence supports it, why one record qualifies while another does not, and where the surviving evidence still leaves uncertainty.
The Manual draws a deliberate distinction between historical significance and verified database eligibility. It establishes the exact ultramarathon threshold, addresses timed events, relays, virtual and self-timed efforts, FKTs, unofficial finishes, DNFs, and races that traverse Kansas, and explains why an effort may still matter historically even when it does not belong in the verified performance database.
It also governs evidence and provenance, historical claim status, conflicting sources, corrections, person and runner identity, race and edition structure, organizations and historical roles, documents and historical media, contributor submissions, editorial standards, governance, institutional independence, preservation architecture, and long-term continuity.
This public beta edition makes the Foundation’s working methodology visible during public beta. The framework may continue to evolve as new evidence, edge cases, and institutional experience require refinement. Material methodology changes will be documented rather than silently changing the rules underneath the archive.
What the Manual Covers
Scope & Eligibility
What qualifies as a Kansas ultramarathon performance, including distance standards and special event formats.
Evidence & Verification
How sources are evaluated, how claim status is expressed, and how conflicts and uncertainty are handled.
Historical Data Integrity
Race identity, editions, performances, runner identity, duplicate resolution, organizations, roles, and provenance.
Historical Content & Media
Race histories, person histories, organization histories, documents, photographs, recollections, and curated historical media.
Submissions & Corrections
What contributors may submit, what evidence is required, how material is reviewed, and what receipt does and does not mean.
Editorial Independence & Governance
Editorial standards, treatment of living people, conflicts of interest, advisory roles, donors and partners, and institutional continuity.
How to Use It
The Manual is intentionally comprehensive. Readers do not need to read it cover to cover to use it effectively. The table of contents provides direct access to specific policy areas, while the Foundation FAQ offers shorter plain-language answers to the questions most likely to arise in practice.
Download the Complete Manual / Methodology
The complete public beta edition is a 54-page PDF containing the Foundation’s full methodology, technical rules, plain-language explanations, examples, governance framework, and appendices.
Where the FAQ summarizes a policy, the current Manual & Methodology is the controlling reference.