hardset nipples wrote:
XC Enthusiast wrote:It's not like USATF can just pick whatever venue they feel like. There needs to be a sponsoring club that can host the event.
Well why the hell can't USATF dictate the venue, what's stopping them? So why hasn't the sport advanced beyond this rudimentary level? It's been stuck in this status quo for decades. This is probably a large part of why the public doesn't buy into it as a legitimate, professional sport. There are high school championships that enjoy a higher level of professionalism and polish than our pro level national championships do.
First of all, I've been to plenty of HS XC state championships. Almost the entire crowd are relatives of the runners who live nearby. And depending on the state, the fields are usually larger than USAXC fields.
Second, USATF is a staff that works on a budget. Sure, they could fly into a city and set up a cross country race on their own. But it would cost them a lot more to do that than to have a local club handle the site, interface with local authorities, etc... It's sort of the same idea as the U.S. Open in golf. The USGA owns the championship, but clubs bid for it and front a lot of the cost.
People are living a pipe dream if they think the USATF could come up with some magic advertising scheme to make USA XC championships popular with average Americans. Maybe NYRR hosted it in Central Park one year at least there would be some passersby curious enough to take a look for a few minutes.