UnsureSherlock wrote:
The 2017/2018 NCAA Track and Field and Cross Country Rules book reads exactly: Rule 1, Section 12, Cross Country, Course Lengths, Article 1, a, Men, 2nd sentence - "The distance for any championship race shall not be shorter than 8000m and not longer than 10,000m." The 2017/2018 NCAA Track and Field and Cross Country Rules book reads exactly: Rule 1, Section 12, Cross Country, Course Lengths, Article 1, a, Men, 2nd sentence - "The distance for any championship race shall not be shorter than 8000m and not longer than 10,000m."
So, "shall not be shorter" is emphatically indicative that if anything, it "must" be equal to 8000m or longer up to 10,000m. Maybe there was a change to this rule unbeknownst to some of us. Or is there a margin of error cited for measuring race distances in NCAA cross country? I am unaware of such.
To be "prudent" and in accordance with the NCAA rules, the course would better to be measured and layed out 'longer' than 8000m so as to 'avoid' breaking this rule. This exact measurement could then be properly announced and disseminated to all participants.
Also, it 'appears' that there may exist historical accounts of this course having been short several years before this. There has been ample time to correct the course 'if' this is the case. And 'if' it was known by some to be short, was this information disseminated to all participants? I am unaware if it was.
Also, it 'appears' that there may exist historical accounts of this course having been short several years before this. There has been ample time to correct the course 'if' this is the case. And 'if' it was known by some to be short, was this information disseminated to all participants properly? Heck, why not just measure it out as 7000m, then, if you are not going to adhere to the official rules? Oh, "it is just cross country", some folks say! Well, heck, then why not measure out to be 6,500m! The rule book addresses this type of insipid dialogue so as to make clear how far the course "must" be! "The distance for any championship race shall not be shorter than 8000m and not longer than 10,000m."