Snowflakes win again? DI Northeast regional XC championships is changed to road race because it snowed

Redd wrote:

I live in Buffalo, the issue is the snow is cleared but the ground below was still wet. With the freezing temperatures the ground turned into a jagged and icy mess with the footprints freezing. The reason it isn't safe is because of the quick onset of freezing temperatures that will make footing unsafe and dangerous on race day. These are the same conditions throughout the entire northeast with this cold snap. Freak storm leads to a freak outcome no matter where the race would have been held.

That's why I asked for a report from boots on the ground in Buffalo. If the course is like an ice rink - running on snow is not a problem - running on hard ice is next to impossible - then it was the right call.

Let's see how many of the top guys are wearing vaporflys.

XC_Dad wrote:

Leaked Course Map

https://twitter.com/dad_xc/status/1194990218342027266?s=21

That course looks like my thingy!

high school xc coach wrote:

just heard this from one of my former runners. why not? can't very well run in 8 inches snow, right?

I did not read through every comment but the burning question is:

What idiot keeps putting this thing in Buffalo?

Anyone from NY knows that you don't schedule something in Buffalo in November.

There are better places in the Northeast. Plus, the course sucks- any rain and it's just mud.

Arishole wrote:

My old coach texted me the same tonight. That's really bizarre.

Buffalo shouldn't be hosting this meet. Rotate it between Hammonasset in CT, VCP, and Franklin Park. No need for it to be in a snowtown in the middle of November.

It's not up to the NCAA - other coaches need to step up and volunteer to host the meet. Out of all the schools in CT, in the NYC area, and in Boston you'd think one coach is a hard enough worker to want to host the meet. But no, they are all lazy.

If Buffalo didn't volunteer to host the meet, there would be no race.

(Grandpa closing the story book 50 years from now)- ‘and that , boys and girls, is why they never hosted to NCAA regional in Buffalo again.’

This is such crap. I ran a conference championship in 2011 during the Halloween weekend ice storm. In the mid Atlantic. I know other conferences ran that weekend too.

Kids are getting as soft as snowflakes. 8 inches of snow in Buffalo is nothing. Now if there was 5+ feet from a lake effect storm, then they should consider switching to a road race, but 8 inches is nothing. My senior year of college our regional meet was in about 6 inches of snow. Everybody is running in the same conditions, so why does it matter. If it's that big a deal just plow the course.

The forecast for the morning of the race is snow showers and possible rain? The roads could be all ice, might be even worse than the actual course.

oldmanwinter wrote:

Kids are getting as soft as snowflakes. 8 inches of snow in Buffalo is nothing. Now if there was 5+ feet from a lake effect storm, then they should consider switching to a road race, but 8 inches is nothing. My senior year of college our regional meet was in about 6 inches of snow. Everybody is running in the same conditions, so why does it matter. If it's that big a deal just plow the course.

And your regional meet course was uphill the entire way, right gramps?

The gator is getting stuck trying to clear the course.

The ground is a bog, freezing at night, thawing irregularly during the day.

The golf course doesn't want to have 6 months of damage done to it in 2 hours.

Um, didn't it snow last year? Did they think that was an anomaly there in Buffalo?

Stop holding the meet there!

Why does everyone think the Nike schools will automatically be in vaporflys? Most Nike schools likely don't have access to them. Even if they do, they're not going to spend the money on them when they won't be racing in them. The few that might have them will be a personal buying decision.

Stony Brook will not be wearing vaporflys.

Captain Literally wrote:

In the most literal sense possible, yes, the snowflakes won.

I can't believe it took 3 pages for someone to post this. This was very first thought upon opening the thread. Well done to you, and shame on the rest of you dopes.

You clearly don’t understand the difference between overall climate and weather (they are actually 2 different things). I see the impact of climate change everyday, as I currently live in Alaska. We have only had 0.2 inches of snow so far for the season in Anchorage. We have been getting a little less snow each year that I’ve lived here and it is getting kind of ridiculous. The bears are not even in hibernation yet because there is NO snow on the ground. The diminishing sea ice in AK is causing the Arctic front to get pushed downwards to the lower 48, hence why everyone else has snow.

XC dad - that pic you put up of the course is not correct. Not very close, either.

back in my day (1960's) we were REAL MEN. Real MEN run in the snow, real MEN are okay with pooping their pants on the course, real MEN slap each other around in the showers after the race. This new generation dissappoints me greatly

It’s just a little humor. Wouldn’t expect someone from Stony Brook to understand such a complex joke. Do you have any other info on cheaterfly gate?

oldmanwinter wrote:

Kids are getting as soft as snowflakes. 8 inches of snow in Buffalo is nothing. Now if there was 5+ feet from a lake effect storm, then they should consider switching to a road race, but 8 inches is nothing. My senior year of college our regional meet was in about 6 inches of snow. Everybody is running in the same conditions, so why does it matter. If it's that big a deal just plow the course.

Stop blaming and labeling these athletes. They woukd frikken tear it up on the xc course in Buffalo if thats where it ended up. They dont make the call. It's not a Let's have a vote" among the athletes thing.

We're all glad you had some nice 6" blanket of snow to run on. Sounds nice.

BTW, snow's easy, and todays athletes are just as tough.....but much faster than your generation. Just watch the 2018 CU women dominate a snowy Nationals course last year. And an NAU team, you know from Arizona, but still crushing it in the snow.

Ice is different. Grandpa.