After the excitement of last week, week 8 brings us a more low-key slate of events. This is the last weekend of the invitational season, as conference meets begin next Saturday, stretching through the following week. Still, the regular season concludes with a major event on the NCHSAA state meet course, even if some teams may decide not to race all-out.
The Meet: 4 Runners Only Cross Country Carnival
Originally conceived by Coach Mike Esposito of Mount Tabor (now at High Point University), the meet came into existence when the NCHSAA state meet was moved from McAlpine to Tanglewood in 2002. The idea was to give teams a chance to preview the course, while also allowing meet management to practice for the tasks required to host the state meet. Sponsorship originall came from Chic-Fil-A, but in 2003 local running store 4 Runners Only (owned by Steve Bennett) stepped in as the primary sponsor. The meet was continued by subsequent Mount Tabor coaches until Tanglewood dramatically increased their fees in 2009.
At that time, coaches Robert Youtz (Bishop McGuiness) and Jeff George (RJ Reynolds) were developing a new course at Beeson Park in Kernersville, thanks to a tip from Guilford College coach Bill Cason. The two wanted to hold an invitational to test it out, and they asked Bennett if he would sponsor the new meet. The 2009 4 Runners Only Invitational was a small meet, and the course and facility showed a lot of promise (but needed a lot of work). The 2009 state championships were in a state of flux, as Winston-Salem had not renewed its interest in the state meet. The original replacement was Cary's WakeMed Soccer Park, but a conflict with the yearly ACC Women's Soccer Tournament caused the NCHSAA to return to Tanglewood one last time. The town of Kernersville submitted a long-term bid for the state championships with only one other course in contention (none of the traditional "big courses" were put up for consideration by their cities). In the spring of 2010, the NCHSAA announced that the state meet would be held at Beeson Park, and once again the 4 Runners meet was a state-meet preview. Now with 70 teams entered in its four races for each gender, the 4 Runners Only Cross Country Carnival is one of the largest invitationals in the state.
The meet combines the state meet preview with Coach George's Frosh/Soph Invitational, billed as "the UNOFFICIAL JV State Championship." Run since the 2002 outdoor track season, the meet has proven popular among schools seeking recognition for younger runners that may not otherwise get it. It has been particularly well-supported over the years by large programs such as Green Hope, South View, and Chapel Hill, who see the opportunity for their developing runners to get a chance to shine (and compete for real medals and trophies). The outdoor track version of the meet will return this year after scheduling conflicts prevented it from being held last spring.
Meet Records
(from MileSplit database, dating back to 2005)
The Course: Beeson Park
The youngest major course in the state, Beeson Park has been developed through the hard work of the Town of Kernersville Recreation and Parks staff. Empty land above the existing softball/baseball and soccer fields was graded and sown with grass seed, while Coach Youtz and Coach George carved a path through the adjacent woods. The land, having been tobacco fields in a prior life, rolls gently but signficantly, and has a natural perimeter for running. The wide-open nature of the course makes it excellent for spectators, as most of the course is visible with little movement.
The course itself is sponsored by Holiday Inn Express. Characterized by a long, wide start, it is well-suited for major meets and reasonably fast to run. After the start, the course curves back to the treeline, where runners can find some shade. They loop "figure-eight style" around the starting field, then pass by the finish line before heading to the tree line again. This leads to the short woods section, followed by the only real hill on the course. At the top, runners head downhill behind the baseball fields and cross the access road before looping around the dirt overflow parking area. A long, very gradual uphill straight brings the runners back to the starting area, where the first part of the course is repeated. Near the top of the hill, runners turn left to an inner loop of about 500m that takes them to the finish.
This year, some of the sharper turns have been smoothed out, the starting area has been restored to its original width (after heavy rain damaged a portion of it last year), and more grass has been added to help prevent dust or mud from developing. The course continues to get better, and should evolve into a true championship venue.
(From the NCHSAA website)
Course Records
(Taken from the MileSplit database)