I have been answering excellent questions pertaining to the cross-country season ahead, so I figured it would be appropriate to share some of these answers on a broader scale

REGULAR SEASON:

There are eight (8) regular season XC meets on the schedule. For a few reasons, the Richland Invite will be removed from our schedule tonight, unless there is an uptick in interest. The main two reasons for removing this meet are, 1) there is a local meet the day before that is also on the schedule, and 2) there is an out of town (Seattle) meet during the regular season for those needing the out-of-town-fix. Keeping in mind the post-season (Junior Olympics) has up to three out of town races, I’d prefer to keep the Rust Buster (Sept 29) on the calendar, and possibly run the Richland Invite in 2025 (swap races each season). Pending input, a decision will be made by tomorrow morning. Our meet schedule for 2024 XC includes:

• Sat, Sept 7, Ultimook: 9:00am girls, 9:30am boys

• Sat, Sept 14, Ash Creek: 8:00am girls, 8:25am boys

• Sat, Sept 21, Three Course Challenge, 9:30am boys, 9:40am girls (meet info)

• Sun, Sept 29, WSRR Rust Buster: first race for us at 10:50am, final race is at 1:20pm

• Fri, Oct 11, Rose City Championship: 11:10am 2k Elementary, 11:30 3k MS Boys, 12:00pm 3k MS Girls

• Sat, Oct 19, Halloween Dash Bash: B/G 2k at 9:30am, final race at 11:15am

• Sun, Nov 3, Stumptown: 1:00pm to 3:00pm, four races

• Sat, Nov 16, USATF Junior Olympic Associations: 2k starts, usually around 9am. See the Calendar for updates.

• Sat, Nov 23, USATF Junior Olympic Regionals: 2k starts, usually around 9am. See the Calendar for updates.

• Sat, Dec 7, AAU Junior Olympic Nationals:

PRIORITIZING RACES TO ATTEND: Runners may choose which race(s) to attend. This is usually based on family/child schedules. While some programs have a firm stance on requiring participating every week, I take a different approach in an effort to increase an intrinsic desire to run - a long-term approach to running. Essentially, leaving the choice up to the runner, not the coach, similar to how I approach training - they know when they practice or race, they will improve.

I have prioritized five races (in bold above) that I believe provide the greatest value to a runner by balancing the fun-challenge experience. If your child wants to race all that is on the schedule - great! If they can only race a few, that is fine as well. See Junior Olympics below.

SOLICITING INTEREST: Meet entries are due sometime between Sunday and Wednesday of the week leading up to the race - entry due dates/times are up to the each meet director. Therefore, you can anticipate an email from me approximately two weeks from any given race. For example, Ultimook registration closes next Wednesday, and I am asking parents to RSVP before Tuesday, September 3, so I have time to ensure the registration of all of the interested runners. Since Ultimook is free to all Whisper kids, there is no meet fee due on your end. If there is a meet registration fee, then it’s usually $25, and I will include a link to pay, or you may pay via Venmo, whichever is most convenient.

Uniforms will be distributed next week for Ultimook, which runners may use for the season. Warm-ups will be ordered mid-September, in time for races in October.

The online Calendar was updated moments ago and includes meet information such as race start times, locations, etc. NOTE: I get all of our information from what the coaches provide on athletic.net. If you come across anything that doesn't match, or if you have more questions, please ask. I will update the Seattle meet on Sept 29 , with lodging information this week, and Junior Olympic lodging by mid-September.

RACE DAY: Runners should arrive at the race venue 75-minutes before the start of their race, taking into consideration drive and parking time. Upon arrival, the Whisper canopy will be set-up for you/runners to come to, pick up their bib, have a light snack (click here if you would like to sign-up to bring snacks), and hang out until the warm-up begins, which is usually 50-minutes prior to race time.

HOW JUNIOR OLYMPICS WORKS:

Association Race: Age groups are U8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18 and divided by gender. Anyone can race. The top-5 teams and top-30 individuals qualify for the Regional Race. Our Association (#310) is the Pacific NW division, which consists of western Washington teams.

Teams consist of 5-8 runners (top-5 runners for each team score), so if runners 4-8 finish outside of the top-30, they still advance to Regionals if the team finishes in the top-5. If we have 10 runners, 8 will be placed on a team, and 2 will run individually. The top-8 runners (of the 10) will advance to Regionals. If we have 12 runners, we will likely divide into two teams for that age division to maximize the opportunity for multiple teams to advance to Regionals.

Regional Race: Runners who met the qualification standards for this race may participate. The top-5 teams and top-35 individuals qualify for the National Race. Our Region consists of teams from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

National Race: I usually arrive on Thursday and depart on Monday, but most families travel Friday-Sunday.

We will have a team hotel for each of the races, but families may stay anywhere they wish. There is always an effort to eat dinner as a team the night before an away meet. If the dining venue allows, parents may dine with the team. Stay tuned for more information on travel, lodging, dining, and more.