No offense, but could someone PLEASE explain the purpose of the Indoor Track Season?

And honestly, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm STILL waiting for just one person to give a reason why the Indoor Track season should exist.

Because not everyone is a distance runner.

Because it snows and gets cold in many parts of the country. Some people skip indoor season.

Fine. Distance runners can skip it then.

Indoor season can just be sprinters and field events.

Though it is redundant for those folks as well. Wouldn't sprinters and field event athletes rather be doing some other sport like MMA or skateboarding during the winter rather than have to slog through TWO track seasons?

What’s a waste of time is cross country. Slogging through muddy fields is a dull fitness activity not a worthwhile sport.

Indoor track is a weak substitute for the main event as it can’t cover all the same disciplines of track and field but is still a million miles better than cross country.

You people aren't doing a very good job.

I still haven't been given a reason why have 2 back-to-back track seasons.

Have you ever been to the midwest or northeast in the early spring? The weather sucks 90% of the time until May. Indoor track gives these schools, which used to be the distance powerhouses, the chance to race in predictable conditions.

It's not my fault you people CHOOSE to live in Siberia.

2 back-to back tracks seasons is absolutely ridiculous and MUST be abolished.

Incorrect. At least CC is it's own thing. Indoor track is a cheap knock-off. Cheap knock-offs always suck.

God forbid we get to watch the top athletes compete through the winter. I wish they would just disappear until May. /s

The weather is freaking GREAT right now. I'm walking around in shorts. Maybe you should move.

Wasn't there already another thread on this?

If you don't like it, you shouldn't do it. That is super easy to understand. I don't want to enter a juggling competition, so I don't. I don't go around telling people to cancel juggling competitions.

As for spectator-friendly, close-to-the-action running events, indoor is one of the best. I loved indoor. It is fun for the athletes to hit those boards and run the banks. Track fans get more track. It is a win-win.

And it was like 21° here last weekend, so racing outside would have been rough. Plus most people use it to sharpen for the coming track season. Some don't. They might choose to just run mileage and workouts. It is a free country and each AD, coach, and athlete can figure out what is best for them. More options are better than fewer options, don't you agree?

p.s. I think it has a bit of a "cage match" vibe to it. The athletes are jammed together, the corners are tighter, the banks are wild, the races are often shorter, the speed is there. I love watching indoor. In some ways, it is the more explosive version of track.

Yes. Grew up there. 1st ever HS track meet was indoor in 9th grade. Doubled mile/2-mile. 30 laps. Have hated indoor ever since.

While the premise of this thread is decent, the execution is horrendous. A little subtlety goes a long ways. 1/10.

Didn't you hear Lord Coe yesterday? A break from September to May is too long without some competition to stimulate performance.

September??????? Looks like someone's team couldn't even make it past district.

I think the more pressing question is why are you so soft? Why do you need a 3 month break after each season?

Why waste my time doing some clown version of real track?