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Oct 2018
3:55pm, 23 Oct 2018
423 posts
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oi you
SEAA did actually conduct a survey about equalising the race distances for men & women. The most popular response (44.83%) was for both SM & SW to race 10k, but I've seen nothing to say what SEAA are actually going to do. You've got to suspect there'll be no change.
Come to that, I've not actually seen anything to say what probelm they're actually trying to solve, but it seems likely to be the overall time it takes to stage all the races.
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Oct 2018
4:17pm, 23 Oct 2018
5,915 posts
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larkim
I think the distance question is going to rumble on for a long time yet with the traditional approaches to XC being challenged / supported by people with very clear but distinct views:-
- equality of distance above all
- focus on faster runners
- focus on including all runners
- challenges from the volunteer base
etc
Perhaps XC is true bastion of the "old skool" runners so any change (if any is needed / wanted) will not come easily or quickly. Perhaps rightly, perhaps wrongly.
In 25 years time I would be amazed if men and women continued to race different distances simply because it is the most reductive position to get to in terms of equality. Other positions on the subject are arguable and have pluses and minuses but once the IAAF equalised it I think ultimately the die was cast for the discipline, whatever people think on the subject.
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Oct 2018
5:39pm, 23 Oct 2018
12,926 posts
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Autumnleaves
In our league we all race the same distance - usually around 5 miles. We also all run at the same time. There are lots of beginners at the two 'easier' courses, the tougher ones tend to have lower overall numbers.
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Oct 2018
5:43pm, 23 Oct 2018
424 posts
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oi you
Well i hope SEAA get themslves sorted out before too long. The event in Feb this year wasn't great. There was no PA sytem and both the caterers and the merchandise sellers were very late getting to site due I heard to a date mix-up.
The SM race was pretty dire. It was a 3 lapper at Falmer Park in Brighton, and they decided it would be a fine idea to close the 3rd loop off after 60 minutes and send everyone into the finish.
The upshot was, of course, that the results are just meaningless from that point on as there was no way to tell apart who'd done 3 laps or just 2.
Our club's first runner home was a V65 at the back of the pack.
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Oct 2018
7:01pm, 23 Oct 2018
27,211 posts
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SPR
That's pretty poor OY.
Larkim - equal distance makes sense. Long and short course races are probably too complicated for leagues though, do it'll be one or the other and likely closer to long course.
Personally think 5 miles to 10km is perfect and most can do that and also allows for a training effect if you're not properly racing. Obviously recovery is longer with longer distances and if you're a woman that raced often over XC as it was shorter and you therefore recovered quickly, it will have an impact.
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Oct 2018
7:06pm, 24 Oct 2018
196 posts
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Stilldreaming
Our club runs in a new league and Sunday's race was on an equestrian cross country course! Two and half laps (just over 5 miles) including a water splash and a log to jump over, with men and women running together. Warm and dry conditions made for good ground conditions and I was pleased not to get lapped! 
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Nov 2018
2:53pm, 2 Nov 2018
1,480 posts
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Uyuni
Anyone else rampaging around Berry Hill Park tomorrow? My kind of XC, not a lot of mud, no massive hills and only 5k
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Nov 2018
4:53pm, 2 Nov 2018
3,801 posts
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Curly45
Not me this year sadly. Love that race. Have fun!
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Nov 2018
6:17pm, 2 Nov 2018
1,568 posts
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stuart little
I am uyuni
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Nov 2018
6:20pm, 2 Nov 2018
1,481 posts
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Uyuni
Have a good one Stuart. I'm safely tucked away in our B team with no ambitions beyond keeping our last leg runner out of the mass start, and taking down the local rivals of course
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