Jane Hedengren vs Sharon Lokedi

I raced there only once in 1998, so that was 25+ years ago, so it might have changed somewhat. I think a lot of it will have to do with how short/long they cut the grass. It also depends on how much rain they've had recently as well, as there is a fair amount of dirt on parts of the course (at least there was when we ran it). The backside of the course is completely brutal- especially that last hill with 800m to go. All that fluff aside, I'll say that she gets it. She's hard to bet against.

Jane will run 19:25.

Back in the day, the 6K course was especially brutal, because it was basically two loops of the two-mile course, so they’d hit that “last hill” twice in the race. I think they changed that.

They have changed the courses from back in the day. I believe the courses they ran today were different from the standard 8k/6k courses.

Half way at 3K mark Hedengren has gapped the field by 19 seconds. Went through 3K mark at 9:09

Through 5K at 15:20.3 everyone else gapped by 38 seconds+

Hedengren finishes in 18:29.6 Sets course record and beats Lokedi’s mark by 20 seconds. Gaps 2nd place by 44 seconds.

Greatest NCAA cross country runner ever. Off of just one race.

Check your math. She beat the record by 1:20.

At 1 mile, Hedengren was up 4 seconds in 4:58; at 3k, her lead was 19 seconds, in 9:09; at 5k, she was up 38 seconds in 15:20, which used to be a mighty good college track time for 3k; and then she won by 45 seconds, 18:29 to 19:14. She beat #7 by over a minute and only 16 runners even broke 20. She smashed the course record. After just two races, she is already looking to be the best ever NCAA women's xc runner, though she's got a couple of great ones to beat this year.

I was correct. The course today are different than what they used to run

The traditional courses go down to the low area by the ponds twice. Today's courses ran up by the parking area way more than what they normally do. They also didn't run any of the traditionally difficult paths. They also don't run the other covered bridge section at all anymore for any races. It is down in a low area that you have to go down into and then come up and out of. This was the easiest rim rock has ever been.

That’s lame. Billy Mills Ascent gets all the publicity for being a tough hill, but the hill coming out of the covered bridge was the real killer, imo

Wow great stat. Should Hedengren switch to the marathon soon ???

This didn't age well :)