Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree is pretty hilly
Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree is pretty hilly
Donger wrote:
Did any course today run any legit hills?
The course for Western Massachusetts Regionals is one of the harder courses I've run on. Takes place at Northfield Mountain and the first mile is almost entirely uphill, the second you descend, and the third is mostly up and down the whole way with a few very steep inclines.
Northfield Mountain was a great (and challenging) course, but unfortunately is no longer in use as of a couple years ago. The WMass qualifying meet has since moved to the pancake flat Stanley Park in Westfield :(
Terre Haute (national championship site) is a pretty fair course.
As an older collegiate coach I have heard and seen a lot. In the 1960', 1970's, 1980's and even into the 90's many, many of your top teams ran a 10,000 during the season to acclimate their athletes to the challenges. Then slowly, this stopped with a new breed of younger coaches who I will call "short term thinkers". But the change to flat courses really started to take shape in the late 90's to early 2000's when more and more coaches of women's cross country (who were mostly men) began politicking for flat courses so they could use their 800/1500 meter runners for move to the 6000 meter distance. I sat in regional meetings, and national meetings listening to this happening. And anyone who wanted to bid to host a regional (and the course was hilly) got voted down. So those coaches stopped bidding. As an example, in the Mountain Region the coaches set a rotation between four or five schools, all who have flat courses, and these were the only ones that the coaches would support. With a change from coaches at the regionals voting which site they want, to an actual bid process directly to the NCAA there is a chance to return to a slightly hillier course.
There are still plenty of tough courses out there. Also, golf courses can be extremely hilly. Not a good example
Talk about a tough course:
http://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2016/11/16/cross-country-runner-hit-by-deer-video
Yes, I have noticed the trend and, as a former high school and cross country runner, I am embarrassed by the trend toward easier courses. Everyone wants to run fast. Flat courses are OK once in awhile, but an NCAA Championship without any hills...wimpy! Virginia High schools have two flat courses on the same weekend, 3rd Battle and Milestat, but otherwise, most of the other options in the state are hilly. Don't change VA!