Prep cross country

[lonewolf]

Re: Prep cross country

The Cowboy Jamboree, which usually has 14 or 15 races used to start some races 10 to 15 minutes after start of preceding race. The stragglers of the earlier race are sometimes, but rarely, caught by the the leaders of the second race. Not a problem, they finish in different chutes with dual timing system.
Dunno how they handle that since going to microchip scoring.

[guru]

Re: Prep cross country

Ha! This just in. My Trinity HS friend who ran there in '78 and '79 has a daughter who posted on FB an hour ago, "[Cincinnati] Elder race today, hills of death await me...."

LOL! That's no joke. Take this beauty for example - they run it twice, once just before the mile mark, and again leading up to the 1.75 mile mark. Feel free to follow it all the up to the turnaround near the intersection(course runs next to wall on right - you can see the chalkline where they turn)

http://tinyurl.com/6awgxad

[Jnathletics]

Re: Prep cross country

On my original post above, I wonder how long it took to run a total of 14 full-length x-c races. There's no evidence that they were run in overlapping waves. And, given the logistics of it all, there had to be 25 or 30 minutes between each start...

At most meets in michigan HS's it not uncommon to have 10 or 11 races in a day. The grade meets have 8 (9,10,11 & 12) + Junior high races and maybe an open. My kids go to one that has 8 grade races (4 each boys and girls), (2) 7th & 8th grade races (1 boys and girls), (1) 6th grade race and an open race. So that's 12 in a day. Normal invites usually have a division 1,2 & 3-4 race for each B&G + JV races for each + Jr high races for each, a standard of 10 races in a day. So, I don't see 14 as too much difficulty, just a long day for the volunteers.

On a similar note, a meet my kids usually run but missed this year because of illness, has races starting every 20 minutes (10 races in all) The meet is usually done by 1pm on a Saturday, with first race starting at 9 ( I think?). (It's a two lap course for 5k) Normally, there isn't an issue but this year the JR High race leaders caught the slower JV runners (the race that started ahead of them), as JR high is a 3K and only one lap. Well, on the first lap the runners have to do this 800m loop before going past the start line for their second lap, but on the 2nd lap they skip that 800m loop and go directly into the finish. Needless to say the slower 5k runners where going directly to the finish, so the JR High leaders followed them instead of doing the 800m loop. The entire JR high race boys cut the course. :roll: I guess they had no one at the "fork" in the course, which they usually do.

[lonewolf]

Re: Prep cross country

Yep. Sounds familiar.