How does Lake Fairfax in VA compare to some of these other courses? I ran that course a few times and it was brutal.
How does Lake Fairfax in VA compare to some of these other courses? I ran that course a few times and it was brutal.
Have only run each of them once (and sorry, don't recall times) but Sunken Meadow FELT a lot harder than Lake Fairfax.
Tennessee's course has gotten to be pretty difficult since they changed it about 7 years ago to 5K, and altered the course. The course record is 15:32 by Matthews, and he went on to run 14:48 at FL south in the rain.
i-nt9-8lsDKJFnD wrote:There was a western Mass championship course in the early 90s (still used I think) that can be really tough if they haven't mowed the course recently.
That's Northfield Mountain, straight up hill for the first half mile or so, then into the woods for another uphill weave.
Jersey boy wrote:
but I agree on Holmdel -- great course to run, hard course to run WELL. Sunken Meadows, yes, brutal. Surprised though not to see any votes for Van Cortland, in the Bronx.
It's Sunken Meadow without an "s" at the end...
It's Van Cortlandt with a "t" at the end.
SM is far tougher than VCP, which is a fair test, but not a brutal one for the more accomplished h.s. runners.
Washington State's is a good state on a golf course ...
BUT I was curious if other states don't allow spectators (even coaches) on the course????
In Washington they keep all spectators corralled in an area so they can only see the first 100 meters, the last 200 meters and maybe another 200 meters at the mile and 2mile markers. It's pretty lame for the parents and coaches!
HEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, that's a picture of states my sophomore year. I see me.
That course is flat as a pancake. (I mean, it's delaware). probably the easiest course I've ever run
Vermont. Thetford is tough, and try to look at a course called Craftsbury, hardest course I have ever ran in my life by far, its ran on ski trails. Derryfield's tough, Wickham is a deceivingly hard but not bad.
rundomrun wrote:
Holmdel Park in NJ, and it's not even that close. Really rolling terrain the entire way. If you aren't ready from the gun the first 800 will wreck you, and the infamous Bowl will finish the job a mile later. On top of all that, the footing for the descent on the back half of the course is horrendous at best.
Sounds like the typical NJ runner who has never raced anywhere outside the state.
I've run Derryfield, Thetford, Bowdoin, Van Cortlandt, and Wickham. I ran by far the fastest on Derryfield but I also knew it the best, I may not be the best judge of how hard it is but it's pretty bad, two big hill in the 2nd mile, 2 other hills in the first and a gradual uphill last 400-600m. Wickham and Thetford both claim monster hills that aren't all that bad but both are very unforgiving if its muddy and have a lot of smaller hills that just make it hard to get into a good rhythm. Bowdoin has the big hill before halfway but I didn't think it was hard and the course I ran at Van Cortlandt was honestly just a fair course with a few rollers.
My vote probably goes to Thetford because it's at least 200-300m long and the start narrows down to not really wide enough for a race at about 150m.
Some people try to claim courses like Holmdel where guys regularly break 15 are hard but those are either short or fast.
lkj;lkjl;kj; wrote:
I've run Derryfield, Thetford, Bowdoin, Van Cortlandt, and Wickham. I ran by far the fastest on Derryfield but I also knew it the best, I may not be the best judge of how hard it is but it's pretty bad, two big hill in the 2nd mile, 2 other hills in the first and a gradual uphill last 400-600m. Wickham and Thetford both claim monster hills that aren't all that bad but both are very unforgiving if its muddy and have a lot of smaller hills that just make it hard to get into a good rhythm. Bowdoin has the big hill before halfway but I didn't think it was hard and the course I ran at Van Cortlandt was honestly just a fair course with a few rollers.
My vote probably goes to Thetford because it's at least 200-300m long and the start narrows down to not really wide enough for a race at about 150m.
Some people try to claim courses like Holmdel where guys regularly break 15 are hard but those are either short or fast.
new yorker here. From what i've read, Maryland sounds like the worst. From what I've seen, the Monroe Woodbury is the toughest in New York. Next, Sunken Meadown. Van Cortlandt is overrated, though not a barrel of fun. Haven't been to Bowdoin, but I expect to be going there this November.