just register wrote:
Maybe I'm not understanding how this works. If a coach thinks their athlete might run a qualifying time sometime between June 9 and June 13, can't they register by the Jun 8 deadline, and then use the qualifying time from the June 9-13 window, right? If that's how it works, I guess I'm not really seeing the issue..
This is a dumb way to do it. You have to register if you guess "might" qualify. If you guess right you might get in the race. If you guess wrong you are out.
The method should be everyone who runs a qualifying time before the end of the last day of qualifying is automatically registered and are give a few days to confirm they will run. But this does not stop Rupp style spot-takers who will DNS at the last second; taking away a spot in the trials. So, there should be provisional runners who get the benefit of all entered runners, and who are added to the starting line to take the spot of any DNSes. The point being, the race is filled with the fastest qualifiers who are ready to toe-the-line when the gun goes off.