US XC Nationals in Boulder? Huh?

The lower loop is pretty close 1750 meters and it would be pretty hard to stretch it 2K. It also is mostly dirt which isn't that attractive to the rest of the world (though I like the course since it is in my back yard and I run there several times a week).

Putting on the nationals could be something to think about, but it would be a lot of work.

Location is only one factor in putting on the meet. The most important factor is coming up with about $30k in prize money. That should be the concern of anyone prior to anything else. I have found Boulder to be a community of athletes that expect a lot but very rarely reach into their pockets. I hope that I am wrong.

2k loop wrote:

It's a LOT closer to 1600m than it is to 2000m. Maybe if they swung the loop out past those idiotic tennis courts....

I'm sure that talking about the tennis courts as being idiotic is sure to help get the entire community involved. Perhaps we should talk about that stupid McDonalds nearby, or that goofy gas station. What were those businesses thinking?

Seriously, why do the tennis courts take away from the XC course?

BDG

Oh I don't know maybe because the placement of said tennis courts has turned that stretch of the course that the women cover a few times (start, finish, and middle loop) and the men cover several times (start, finish, middle loops) into a driveway when they're in use? Putting them along the east side of that paved road that leads in from S. Boulder Road would've made a hell of a lot more sense. It's a shame that Wetmore and his runners have to put up with a rock-hard, rocky, grassless racing course because an integral part of it is used for auto traffic for half the year. That and the fact that it's a huge blob of concrete dropped into the middle of a wetlands.

Also since the Boulder Road Runners would be the only local club that would have a shot at putting in a bid for US XC don't count on it becoming reality.

Benji Durden wrote: The lower loop is pretty close 1750 meters and it would be pretty hard to stretch it 2K...

If you could lease the fields for the season at Teller Farm, you could put together a really neat course out there.

There really isn't a good place to turnn 150 meters down the road without it being a really sharp turn. It could be that running in the boggy area over to be west of the start each lap and then snaking back towards the start a little east of that stretch could make the distance up. It would add some mud to the race.

The stuff to the east of the course could be used too. Before they put up that fencing the dam wall could have been used.

I really doubt Teller could be used ... although I would be interested in hearing how that could be mangled into a course.

What about something at the fields up at North Boulder Park (I think they are called Violet fields or something?) Those would have good appeal for crowds, plus you could do some climbing around there too. I think they already are used quite a bit for ultimate.

I have not heard anything really the prevents this from happening in Boulder outside of the need to get prize money (how much does the community provide versus how much is from the USATF?) ... and some concern about the altitude.

Money is the only thing that matters. Have any of you clowns ever sat in on the bidding process. If you come up with 30-50 grand and a post race party you can hold it in your backyard.

I have to agree. The first concern is how to pay for the meet. We can't even raise money for an elite program like the Hanson's or the Farm Team for Boulder. It seems unlikely we could raise the $100K or so it would take to do this right.

Finding a course would be a trivial problem by comparison.

Why not, they lease it to graze cattle.As for mangling ... tractor, Bobcat, hay bales and a water hose. ;-)Don't even think about the Buffalo Ranch, I hear that there are unexploded mines out there, and Jawbone Hill is actually radioactive sludge from Rocky Flats.

dweezil wrote:

I really doubt Teller could be used ... although I would be interested in hearing how that could be mangled into a course.

Hasn't Wetmore looked into the possibility of having sod laid at Buffalo Ranch in the past? Is that feasible?

If the race is secured for a few years down the road then could that be an option? Obviously, that would be expensive and an irrigation system would have to be installed - but a great idea I think if the possibility is there! Maybe there is some rich philanthropist out there who could help out!

As of right now, CU owns all the property and for the next several years plans to use it solely for athletic fields and facilities. So...it's not like irrigation for growing grass on a XC course is that big of a stretch (again, we're talking years here). And I don't think you need to have the entire course covered with perfect grass. Cross country SHOULD be different from course to course. Any discussion of NOT using Jawbone Hill is silly to me, though. I realize that a criterium style course is the current trend, but for a 10K course you could still probably have 3 lower loops and 2 trips up Jawbone.

BDG

Allright - let's laid down all the rug they laid down recently at Monarch, Peak 2 Peak (Fundie HS), and Fairview out at Buff Ranch. Now that would be a course!

Who funds these efforts in the other towns (Vancouver)?

There is something special going on in Boulder with this race and The group of athletes that train there. I am proud of Boulder. Boulder Rocks!

FRED u wrote:

There is something special going on in Boulder with this race and The group of athletes that train there. I am proud of Boulder. Boulder Rocks!

Agreed. I think NOW is the time that the entire Boulder running community (or as much of it as possible) to come together with 2 goals in mind:

#1 Forming a true elite club team based in Boulder that will not only help fund existing elite runners, but will assist and develop the 2nd tier of runners as well (whether or not this takes the form of an official USATF Elite Development Club or not).

#2 Bringing XC Nationals (Club or Winter) to Boulder in the not so distant future.

I think a combination of factors have helped spark the excitement again in Boulder:

-the usual elite contingent led by folks like Dathan Ritzenhein, the Culpeppers, etc.

-Brad Hudson's recent success & the buzz around his group

-CU's double win at NCAA XC Nationals

-Pete Julian's Best XC Race on the Freakin' Planet

-Boulderrunning.com

-Fleet Feet Sports & Boulder Running Company being involved in racing teams, bringing the late Arthur Lydiard to Boulder, and putting on great events.

Let's not be turned away by the pessimists - let's make some things happen.

BDG

Yet the CU football players each received a new PDA valued at $350 (funded by the athletilc department at a total cost of about $34,000) as a present for representing the school in a bowl game in December! All of this according to an ongoing story in both Denver papers currently. It states that other athletic teams at CU are struggling and cutting their budgets, while the football team continues to prosper!!

Now don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that cross country is a non-revenue sport - but wouldn't it be nice if the University would find some money to help improve the double national champions' cross country course!!

Holding XC Nationals in Boulder is a great concept....But, it will take a significant effort both financially, administratively, and politically. Right now, USATF Long Distance Running (LDR) is hurting in Colorado and comprises less than 20 percent of the CO Association membership. We first need more athletes to joIn USATF to generate a little revenue and to establish LDR as a viable membership in the CO Association. It's a chicken and egg problem - without the funding you can't put on the events and without the events you can't generate the enthusiasm for joining USATF. Once you establish the numbers, you need race directors to get excited about holding USATF Championship events. Then you can draw from those two groups to form a race committee, raise funds and put in a serious bid. The Rochester (2005 XC Club Nationals) operations document is 35 pages long. It has more then 20 large task assignments (ie people volunteering) and has a budget of over $30,000. All of this takes coordination and volunters...and finally $$.

The LDR committee is meeting monthly and we could use your input . We hope to stage 5 to 10 LDR events and championships in 2005. John Tope is the new LDR Chair and is doing a great job. The USATF Colorado Association Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Oct 1, 2005 at Buffalo Ranch (as the open races at the Rocky Mountain shootout). We have kept the cost down as a no frills event the past two years - only a $5 pre-registered fee).

I believe it is possible to hold nationals here at any of a few venues. It depends on which bureaucracy you want to work with. I think we should first get LDR in the CO Association up and running...join USATF...www.usatf.org (look for memberships and the Colorado association) Then we can get some momentum going and hold a national class competition in the future. Then, we all wouldn't have to travel in February!

Tim Dolen XC Chair, USATF, CO Association