The Jungle Run course is the same every year. Short or long, it is a great event on a great course. In this state, many courses are too long, many aren't long enough. Place is what matters in XC, not time. I don't think it's worth arguing about. (Even though I just presented an argument!)
Amen, Scott! Jungle Run is the first meet we add to our schedule every year and will be as long as I'm coaching. Personally, if it is short, it isn't by much to even offer an argument. My top girl ran eight seconds faster at JR than she did at Tanglewood. Coach Autry holds a high caliber meet in a great meet environment.
The Jungle Run is definitely a fun event, but please don't get us started again on how short the course definitely is. Like how I slipped that in there? Like I've always said, that course (coupled with the time of day it's run) makes for a great place for upperclassmen to PR to look better to prospective college programs. McAlpine is another place where you can cut some major distance and time off by choosing the inside paths. There will always be controversy with some of these courses. As long as the times are equated with other (perhaps more accurate) 5K courses, I can certainly understand the problem. Runners still have to run on the same State course at the end of the season, but the PRs sure do look good.
So is the Jungle Run still the Labor Day weekend Saturday?
I will have to say my kids loved coming last year to the Jungle Run and it was our first time. Eventhough we got home around 2:30am they are begging me to make sure we go back again this year (maybe its because they could sleep on the way home and did not have to drive). So we are definitely going back again.