Wisconsin course is short of 6k

Agree, the last K is short. Remember when Sheila Reid ran like 2:45 for her last K last year? Yeah, it's a little short.

makes sense for the ridiculously fast times. I assumed it was short.

but its the same course as last year. Short or not, it was very fast this year compared to last year....the girls are getting much faster.

The course layout hasn't changed since it opened. What did change this year was no rain and 95 degrees all summer, every day.

The course was hard and fast. Who cares if it is or isn't short? Take the crowbar out of your butt and hit your head with it a couple of times.

That Cal-Poly girl was off to the races early and it led to a fast, great race. The fact that somebody wants to denigrate that race is amazing, just amazing.

Now I've Seen Everything wrote:

The course layout hasn't changed since it opened. What did change this year was no rain and 95 degrees all summer, every day.

The course was hard and fast. Who cares if it is or isn't short? Take the crowbar out of your butt and hit your head with it a couple of times.

That Cal-Poly girl was off to the races early and it led to a fast, great race. The fact that somebody wants to denigrate that race is amazing, just amazing.

No one is denigrating the race. We're debating a fact. The race was short or it wasn't. Courses can be whatever length the meet director likes just measure the course accurately and let everyone know the true distance.

I'm not familure with the course but unless it is perminant trails the course will always change a bit. All courses degrade, and with movable flags and lots of turns there is a big risk for error.

Garmin and google earth get close but let's be honest, 10-20 meters per mile adds up to quite a bit of time!

The Animal Within wrote:

I'm not familure with the course but unless it is perminant trails the course will always change a bit. All courses degrade, and with movable flags and lots of turns there is a big risk for error.

Garmin and google earth get close but let's be honest, 10-20 meters per mile adds up to quite a bit of time!

It's a permanent Course

The splits give you a clue. 3k in 10 flat for leader finishes in 19:33. You do the math.

I don't understand why people get so bent out of shape, or surprised when an XC course comes up short.

I always thought that was part of the beauty and charm of XC.

I told a runner of mine that if they want precision they should run track.

Who cares? It is XC, not track!

reneemb wrote:

Who cares? It is XC, not track!

I care because all the snobby spoonfed girls think they just ran a boss 6k PR and think they can brag about it.

When you have a course with 4k, 5k, 6k, 8k, 10k, races that all have the same start and finish line, it's going to be very hard to have all of them being exactly accurate.

It is a permanent course... the EXACT same as last year minus the very strong winds? sooooooo.... short? I don't think so, good try.

I have a hard time believing that the winner went through the first 3k in 10:00 and then closed in 9:33 for her last 3k.....thats a HUGE negative split. Look at the pre-nat invite and the winner wasn't negative splitting.

Isn't it on a golf course? How is it a perminant course then?

It is not on a golf course... it is next to a golf course. This course was a course made for cross country and was run the same as it was last year. Get over it.

oh yes that classic distance, the 6km

Have you ever heard people talking about the times for the world xc?

Same for Lawi. He's really fast, but he obviously didn't close last 3k in 8:09 or 2k in 2:17.

Guy With a Ruler wrote:

No one is denigrating the race. We're debating a fact. The race was short or it wasn't. Courses can be whatever length the meet director likes just measure the course accurately and let everyone know the true distance.

Not really debating a fact; it is known that the 6km and 8km courses are 75m or so short. But, since Reed ran 20:00 last year (windy race with tight competition and no one trying to break away early) and the course record was 19:54 from Big Tens, the 19:33 is smoking fast on a course that ran very fast yesterday.

Note that some other top freshmen were there and ran well but not within spitting distance of the winner.