Running Lane - Saratoga Springs?

Yes, there are many reasons, however the main reason is that there isn't a compelling argument to spend that much money just to prove to any doubters they are the top team (or not?) And really for the same reason and principle that a teams shouldn't have to pay for a "national championship". We have rankings and speed ratings for that type of measurement. The Saratoga girls had a great season, perhaps one of the best ever. They appreciate all of the competition that has inspired them across the country. In addition, travel to Alabama is not something to be risked right now...and that's where it shall stay until the indoor season!

spacity wrote:

Yes, there are many reasons, however the main reason is that there isn't a compelling argument to spend that much money just to prove to any doubters they are the top team (or not?) And really for the same reason and principle that a teams shouldn't have to pay for a "national championship". We have rankings and speed ratings for that type of measurement. The Saratoga girls had a great season, perhaps one of the best ever. They appreciate all of the competition that has inspired them across the country. In addition, travel to Alabama is not something to be risked right now...and that's where it shall stay until the indoor season!

As to your last point, in the random fluctuation of hot spots, Covid is much higher in NY than Alabama right now:

It sounds like the team has influences on the more protective side of the Covid issues. Kudos to whomever got them to have as much of a season as they did.

Ilio wrote:

Anyone know why the Saratoga Springs ladies aren't doing Running Lane?

Give these a girls a change to run on a national stage.

Instead they stay in NY and walk all over everyone easy. I feel bad for the girls. Maybe the coaches think they need to keep them home and sheltered. Who knows really, but in the end the girls a Saratoga are the ones missing out.

Missing Out wrote:

Ilio wrote:

Anyone know why the Saratoga Springs ladies aren't doing Running Lane?

Give these a girls a change to run on a national stage.

Instead they stay in NY and walk all over everyone easy. I feel bad for the girls. Maybe the coaches think they need to keep them home and sheltered. Who knows really, but in the end the girls a Saratoga are the ones missing out.

Yes, the easy competition of the FM girls. The truth is RunningLane is not a true national championship. It would cost thousands of dollars to send a team there from NY, and that's just not worth it. I said it months ago, but RunningLane will never be the same as NXN until it pays for teams to go down there. The second NXN comes back everyone will go there and RunningLane will die.

I guess it's weird they didn't do footlocker. They travleed to a meet about an hour from there, competed against themselves on the same course they did the week before while there was competition at footlocker. Kinda weird. But I guess just as weird as FM shutting it down fully. I guess it's NXN or nothing. If NXN doesn't return what will they do in the future?

I do agree it's stupid to pay for everyone to go to alabama to race just because they call it a national championship. It's really just a big invite with some of the nations top teams. We start indoor this week here in NY. So lot's going on with this decision. Maybe they have goals for 4xmile and DMR in indoor that are bigger than one more XC race that they will dominate?

fad wrote:

I guess it's weird they didn't do footlocker. They travleed to a meet about an hour from there, competed against themselves on the same course they did the week before while there was competition at footlocker. Kinda weird. But I guess just as weird as FM shutting it down fully. I guess it's NXN or nothing. If NXN doesn't return what will they do in the future?

I do agree it's stupid to pay for everyone to go to alabama to race just because they call it a national championship. It's really just a big invite with some of the nations top teams. We start indoor this week here in NY. So lot's going on with this decision. Maybe they have goals for 4xmile and DMR in indoor that are bigger than one more XC race that they will dominate?

Foorlocker (Eastbay) typically gets the decent runners NOT on a good team who figure they can't make it to Nationals via NXN.

Toga is a team and Eastbay refuses to add teams.

But given there is no team or nxn nationals you would think you would want your elite kids to have a chance to run a national meet for free for those who could qualify. Going to my regionals just seemed like a weird time trial with no reward at the end

Before NCN Toga came down to VCP and did quite well. It would have been nice to see if the could have sent3, 2, or 1 girl to Balboa Park.

Nike shills continue to talk down to others…so much hubris with you guys. I look back at the 2019 FLNE races - yeah, “decent” runners. Cut the nonsense.

Better hope Nike actually holds a national meet next year or they run a real risk of fading away.

spacity wrote:

Yes, there are many reasons, however the main reason is that there isn't a compelling argument to spend that much money just to prove to any doubters they are the top team (or not?) And really for the same reason and principle that a teams shouldn't have to pay for a "national championship". We have rankings and speed ratings for that type of measurement. The Saratoga girls had a great season, perhaps one of the best ever. They appreciate all of the competition that has inspired them across the country. In addition, travel to Alabama is not something to be risked right now...and that's where it shall stay until the indoor season!

The minute you think ranking and speed rating outweigh actually racing people head to head is the day that racing dies. The reason that you go to RunningLane is to race against the best. We are traveling from California to be there because we want to test ourselves against the best.

Exactly! No one is saying NXN wont come back next year. But this year in 2021, Running Lane is the National Championships 100%!

Missing Out wrote:

coachy wrote:

The minute you think ranking and speed rating outweigh actually racing people head to head is the day that racing dies. The reason that you go to RunningLane is to race against the best. We are traveling from California to be there because we want to test ourselves against the best.

Exactly! No one is saying NXN wont come back next year. But this year in 2021, Running Lane is the National Championships 100%!

Bingo. This is not the year of NXN it's the year of RunningLane. Just like before NXN it was ALL about Footlocker. It changes and we have to be ready to change with it to race the best. Who knows next year, we will wait until 2022 to figure that one out.

The 2021 Toga team really had nothing to gain at Runninglane. These team members already won and experienced an NXN national championship in 2019, and with covid were the consensus #1 team nationally in 2020 (and most likely will be in 2021).

If they had ran at Foot Locker NE, they surely would have put 3 in the top 20, but could have ended up with no one in the top 10. While the team is very good, it does not have national caliber individual stars. If anyone had qualified for FL Nationals, they would not have been a top 10 contender.

Given the less than ideal options, the choice of NXR seems to be the least bad. They maintain commitment to the Nike series, and add to the legacy of NXR performances for Toga.

They bring back 4 of top 6 for 2022, so if someone steps up at #5, they will be back in the hunt. F-M will be better, and CO, CA and MN will be good too. Hopefully 2022 is decided in a race at NXN.

I’td be unfortunate if a team that declines to go to the only team national meet is somehow considered the #1. Hopefully Milesplit and Dyestat cap them at no. 2 and the season ending speed ratings back that up.

I seriously doubt that everyone from 2019 is on the 2021 team so "nothing gained" really isn't a thing to the individual athletes. Just like they won't have the same athletes on the team from 2021 to 2022, sucks for those two that are Seniors now that won't get anything that is like a National Championship even if they are considered #1 you won't really know. There was no consensus #1 in 2020, some teams didn't compete and others pushed their seasons back to early 2021.

Missing Out wrote:

Ilio wrote:

Anyone know why the Saratoga Springs ladies aren't doing Running Lane?

Give these a girls a change to run on a national stage.

Instead they stay in NY and walk all over everyone easy. I feel bad for the girls. Maybe the coaches think they need to keep them home and sheltered. Who knows really, but in the end the girls a Saratoga are the ones missing out.

Sure, blame it on the coaches.

madas wrote:

But given there is no team or nxn nationals you would think you would want your elite kids to have a chance to run a national meet for free for those who could qualify. Going to my regionals just seemed like a weird time trial with no reward at the end

Yeah that one didn't make sense to me. My high school is nationally competitive but not interested in paying for a trip to Alabama so they sent a couple individuals to Eastbay regionals and one moved on to nationals, with two more in the top 20 (not all the same gender). Saratoga easily could've done the same or better, and still gotten true national championship experience for those athletes.

The entire competing team from 2019 is the same. They won in 2019 with all 8th thru 10th graders. Obviously, there may have been kids on the team who graduated, but they were not top 7.

the money aspect is just stupid. Running Lane is not a true National championship, and likely never will be. Let the others run there. People will sort it out and know what is what.