If they want turnout, they'll put it somewhere warm like Florida.
How about this: put it on a 400 meter rubber track. Perfectly flat surface and then build some tall walls around it and a roof. Keep the structure at a constant 63.4 degrees and place air fans strategically to create a pushing wind around the entire oval. Then, make everyone wear super shoes and have wave lights for pacing.
That would be some pretty awesome cross country and I bet some all-time high school marks might get set!
I am not digging running lane races. The course is just too golf-course smooth. That's not real XC. Bring NB nationals xc to mid atlantic (MD, NJ, or NYC). Make the kids suffer in hardcore XC terrain.
XC traditionally is about finding the best all-around runner. The athlete with the right combination of speed, strength, and grit. Back in my youth, the world championships featured a 12K course and the lead pack was often a mix of marathon runners, road specialists, and the best 5, 10, and steeple athletes. IMHO, the event lost luster when IAAF added a 4K event in Morocco so that El G could win a championship in front of the home crowd.
Back to high school, no true fan wants a jungle course or a race run on carpet. Yes, NXN can get swampy but that is classic fall/winter running conditions. Stop this obsession with times! XC should be slower because the ground is soft and undulating. It should never be groomed and manicured for middle distance runners to go fast. It should be a fair challenge that selects a winner based on the best combination of skills and talent. It should be a rarity that the nation’s best 800/Miler makes the podium and if a high school boy runs sub 14:30, then it wasn’t a true XC test.