Is the D2 Men’s course really that much faster than the D1 course?

D2 is always slower. You cant compare courses until you compare margins.

When did the D2 winner run in the same meet as a solid D1 field?

Well Ezra ran 29:31 compared to Edwins 30:32. They both ran the 10k on different courses. Ezra is over a minute faster than Edwin.

It is XC. Times don't matter. I ran a 22 minute 8k XC race in college.

Yes, the course makes a huge difference. Take a look at 5k and 10k times in the spring and post again.

Ezra Mutai is the real deal. Uncontested all season and huge margins of victory looking easy for him.

Yes lol

There’s quite a difference between pancake flat, hard packed golf course in 65°F sunshine in California and a couple inches of mud and rain and hail in Indiana

I was at the D2 meet today and ran over the course a couple times while I was here. I really think the course was very accurate in terms of distance, but it was the absolute fastest conditions for a cross country course I have ever seen. Very dry and short golf course grass, some hard packed dirt, long straightaways with no sharp turns anywhere, no hills, and nice weather. Weather could’ve been a little cooler to make ideal conditions for a 10k, but it was obviously nothing to complain about.

Balls to the Wall wrote:

Seems like Ezra Mutai would have spanked Edwin Kurgat. Am I wrong?

The d2 nats course is at Haggin Oaks in Sacramento, where they've hosted the West region a lot. The course is super fast. Cheserek ran about 25;30 for 10k

The quality of top d2 is greater than d1 when you consider the significant money disparity.

The D2 course was good for Vaporfly, which some of the runners wore in the race.

So paying people more makes them run faster? Anyway, D2 and D1 schools can give the same number of scholarships. Yet the best D2 school would get crushed by the best D1 school. That is because D2 schools are terrible academically and most good American distance runners are not dumb. Some foreigners are dumb or D2 would be even worse.

Payer of money wrote:

So paying people more makes them run faster? Anyway, D2 and D1 schools can give the same number of scholarships. Yet the best D2 school would get crushed by the best D1 school. That is because D2 schools are terrible academically and most good American distance runners are not dumb. Some foreigners are dumb or D2 would be even worse.

"Can" is the operative word there. While they are technically able to, most don't have the money to fully-fund their track team. My team had about 3 full scholarships to go between the entire team, so we had all-americans getting about $1,500 in scholarship.

Payer of money wrote:

So paying people more makes them run faster? Anyway, D2 and D1 schools can give the same number of scholarships. Yet the best D2 school would get crushed by the best D1 school. That is because D2 schools are terrible academically and most good American distance runners are not dumb. Some foreigners are dumb or D2 would be even worse.

The D2 national champ is the best academic school in D2, and all of its runners are American...

wat wrote:

Yes lol

There’s quite a difference between pancake flat, hard packed golf course in 65°F sunshine in California and a couple inches of mud and rain and hail in Indiana

This.

True but still ranked behind 75 D1 schools. D2 is really dumb. Colorado School of Mines is average if compared to P5 schools academically.

You are right that D2 is second class to D1 and only scrubs who can't make it in D1 run there. True Scholarship guys who want great facilities and travel budgets are going D1. Guys who want $1500 and a bus are going D2.

XC snob i wrote:

It is XC. Times don't matter. I ran a 22 minute 8k XC race in college.

no you didnt

Overall D2 is second class to D1 for academics and athletics, but there are plenty of good D2 academic programs that are right there with D1. Mines and tech are two good examples of that. And D2 athletics is the better option for a lot of guys. They can be competitive and running at championships meets instead of a career B squad guy who gets burnt out. But D2 guys can’t say they’re “D1 athletes”. Who cares.

D2 is dumb wrote:

True but still ranked behind 75 D1 schools. D2 is really dumb. Colorado School of Mines is average if compared to P5 schools academically.

Mines is the #84 national university and #34 public in the US News rankings... higher than six of the top 10 D1 finishers yesterday including their own state's flagship