Colorado also has many major "cross country" races that start and end in a g.d. parking lot.
But ya, California might as well just call it road racing. Especially w the no spike rule.
Coach Dahl
It’s one course in a state with hundreds of courses…that’s used infrequently due to unsafe conditions. My kid ran 12 races this year and with the exception of the Mt. Sac rain course…I’d estimate that less than 2 miles (total) was on pavement. Most of the time it’s a means to an end to get the runners to another section of trail or grass…not an intentional move by RD’s to make the course “easier.”
The Mt. SAC rain course is used when rainfall causes the normal course to be dangerous. When you have over 100 runners slipping and sliding through mud, there is a risk of serious injury. Not worth it.
Conversely, I don't recall if it was the NCAA D-II or D-III championships this year, but it was run during a snow storm. It was ridiculous to see the runners practically walking and tip-toeing through the snow. Wasn't even a race.
The Mt. SAC rain course is used when rainfall causes the normal course to be dangerous. When you have over 100 runners slipping and sliding through mud, there is a risk of serious injury. Not worth it.
Conversely, I don't recall if it was the NCAA D-II or D-III championships this year, but it was run during a snow storm. It was ridiculous to see the runners practically walking and tip-toeing through the snow. Wasn't even a race.
That actually sounds like a great race. Cross country is a sport that should embrace challenging elements and different/unique courses - it's what the sport is about (as long as it's safe), not unlike F1 racing, golf, alpine ski, mountain biking etc etc.
Why is the entirety of the CIF-SS Finals run in a parking lot before finishing on a track. What a joke. And then these same people wonder why nobody takes their performances seriously.
The Mt. SAC rain course is used when rainfall causes the normal course to be dangerous. When you have over 100 runners slipping and sliding through mud, there is a risk of serious injury. Not worth it.
Conversely, I don't recall if it was the NCAA D-II or D-III championships this year, but it was run during a snow storm. It was ridiculous to see the runners practically walking and tip-toeing through the snow. Wasn't even a race.
That actually sounds like a great race. Cross country is a sport that should embrace challenging elements and different/unique courses - it's what the sport is about (as long as it's safe), not unlike F1 racing, golf, alpine ski, mountain biking etc etc.
What he didn’t mention is that it’s not just “mud” here in SoCal, it’s a nasty clay/mud combo that immediately builds up into a several inches thick layer that turns your shoes into ice skates. I’m a trail runner down here and unless you’re up in the mountains, it’s pretty much impossible to run in and extremely dangerous for high schoolers to even try.
I was at the race on Saturday and actually walked down to the valley loop to check it out and not only was there still a ton of standing water, my first step on the mud almost put me on my ass.
you can call it being “soft” all you want…but these are kids and it’s up to the adults running these events to keep their safety in mind.
The course was 3 miles, it WAS measured by MULTIPLE coaches and it measured 3 miles at the efficient tangents so a runner in the middle of the pack would have ran a little farther, but that's besides the point there is plenty of challenging courses across CA and CA has history of absolutely incredible athletes. The system we use is very inefficient for the top runners who's goal is nationals, we have hills, we have mud, its just less prevalent than other states. Then there's the silly rule of no spikes for a good amount of courses athletes cant control that CA is full of courses that are nationally recognized look at Nico young who couldn't break Fernandez record but came in and smashed NXN for a great win its rare but CA athletes are not soft. This also puts to comparison how great spencers Woodward record is people can argue about the shoes but the times the fastest just how the sport is its evolution you don't see people in F1 complaining about evolution its just how the sport is guys.
Why is the entirety of the CIF-SS Finals run in a parking lot before finishing on a track. What a joke. And then these same people wonder why nobody takes their performances seriously.
I can't believe they couldn't find a park or golf course somewhere to run this race. This literally is a road race, not cross country. No shade to the runners, they didn't pick the course, but with no hills or uneven terrain you can't legitimize this as a cross country race on any level.
“I was there, definitely not 3 miles. It was way off”
lol, thanks! “I was there” is all the proof I need.
Yeah it was definitely it 3 miles , it was an emergency XC course. They need to move the event if this keeps happening , but it was definitely not three miles
just a snippet of the gps results. In the couple dozen I’ve seen across both prelims and finals, I’ve seen just one that was exactly 3 miles, every other was over.
this is the race for arguably the deepest and most competitive section in the state…do you really think they’re going to either intentionally or mistakenly make the course short?
“I was there, definitely not 3 miles. It was way off”
lol, thanks! “I was there” is all the proof I need.
Yeah it was definitely it 3 miles , it was an emergency XC course. They need to move the event if this keeps happening , but it was definitely not three miles
Emergency? They made the announcement almost a week before the prelims race. plenty of time to map out the same course they used two years before…and make it accurate.