The U.S. needs to up their game and increase HS racing distance so kids will be ready for college.
The U.S. needs to up their game and increase HS racing distance so kids will be ready for college.
great idea, and yes.
Horrible idea and yes, there would be far fewer high school kids participating in cross country and track, including some kids that could have gone on to be stars. Racing 5k certainly doesn't seem to hurt the top runners when they go off to college, with freshmen often finishing very high at nationals. Even if high schoolers ran 8k, many of them would still take some time to adjust to college.
Sebby wrote:
Horrible idea and yes, there would be far fewer high school kids participating in cross country and track, including some kids that could have gone on to be stars. Racing 5k certainly doesn't seem to hurt the top runners when they go off to college, with freshmen often finishing very high at nationals. Even if high schoolers ran 8k, many of them would still take some time to adjust to college.
Terrible logic. The Africans already have many training years ahead of the sendentary US kids. It would not hurt to run longer, but it is true that it would be more difficult to get kids to run in HS.
The best runners could handle it but it would be a stupid idea.
PSHH 8k...That's such an easy distance...
There are a lot of 800 runners that run XC to help them out on the track. For a HS 800 runner 5k is rough enough, a lot less would be willing to come out for XC if it was 8k.
"fewer" kids, and yes
Three 8ks a week would definitely do wonders for our youth tht are already poorly scheduled.
Would the girls also run 8k? Should we add a 5k & 10k to high school track as well?
5 and 10k high school track, huh?
At most of my sons meets, there are 10 or less kids running the 3200, which is already run at almost the end of the meet, in front of empty stands. And the only guys running it are the same ones that have already done the 1600, 800 and 4x8 the same meet. No one would run 5k on the track. And certainly there'd be no runners, or audience, for 10k.
The best kids in xc could handle 8k easily. They already run 10k and half marathon community races off season. But the mass of 20+ minute 5k guys would be taking 30 min to finish 8k, meets would drag on forever, and over half the girls would be walking or collapsing.
run away wrote:
5 and 10k high school track, huh?
At most of my sons meets, there are 10 or less kids running the 3200, which is already run at almost the end of the meet, in front of empty stands. And the only guys running it are the same ones that have already done the 1600, 800 and 4x8 the same meet. No one would run 5k on the track. And certainly there'd be no runners, or audience, for 10k.
The best kids in xc could handle 8k easily. They already run 10k and half marathon community races off season. But the mass of 20+ minute 5k guys would be taking 30 min to finish 8k, meets would drag on forever, and over half the girls would be walking or collapsing.
...Girls' races would be terrible...
I actually think that both boys and girls should race 3k. I think that we would see more 17:30+ 5k guys actually be racing instead of just running. It would also improve logistics of meets because races would be done faster.
I know Canada may not be the best example, but in Ontario high schools have varying distance, based on age. Guys run 5k as freshmen, 6k as sophomores, and seniors run 7k. It doesn't really seem to have any detrimental effects on these boys... but then again we're not exactly producing as many high-caliber athletes as the U.S. I just thought I'd make that point
No, it would simply make xc more of a crashing bore than it already is.