Thursday, September 26, 2013
Carlisle Course Description
A friendly Carlisle runner was kind enough to send in a mini-write up on the Carlisle Course. I have never been their and I was wondering what it was like. There have been some changes made as well this year, so it's really new for everybody. So check it out!
I'm sure this is news to everyone because I don't think word has spread so far, but the course has changed. I can't say if it's for the better or the worst, but as a runner of Carlisle I definitely like it better.
The first change is the best. At the start where you run up the steady hill from the start, instead of going down the hill and turning right sharply, you will have a very gradual right turn where you will return back onto the regular path and from there are no new changes for a little more than 2000 meters. This change occurred due to a greenhouse that was put in on campus. The next new part is turning before the bus circle. In years past you've always run past the solar panels to the road, turned right around the middle school sign and then followed the bus circle until you were back on the main path. Now when you pass the solar panels you turn right at the huge telephone pole and pretty much just skip the entire bus circle loop and go right on to the main path.
From here you will go down past where the old two mile sign was and make a hard right like always and then instead of turning left you will continue straight towards the soccer fields. Here you will turn left, running along side of the what will soon be turf field and then around the lacrosse practice field. When running around this field you will eventually pass the new two mile mark. After running around the lacrosse field you will turn right and get back on the course and from there finish it like it has always been. The only difference about the finish now is that you run along the side of the tennis courts and then turn right to the finish.
These changes have most likely made the course slower because it cut out some long straightaways and replaced them with more sharp turns. I don't think it will make a dent in the times run however, and this is based off the competition coming this year. It has also made the course more spectator friendly, you will now be able to see even more of the race from the start line. If your team has come in years past and is used to the old course I would highly recommend a course walk when you get here. But overall the first 2000 is pretty much the same, only the middle 1500 is very different.
--ForrestCRN
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
From the perspective of a 2nd Carlisle runner, the changes are not significant. The person who wrote the article above is correct in saying the change in the early part of the race is for the better. The unsafe, steep downhill was cut out allowing for a safer start and allows the race to narrow in a more gradual fashion.
ReplyDeleteThe changes in the second mile will help create a more exciting spectator race. Runners will be able to have spectators around them from 2400-3800m to keep the pace high during the part of the race where many of us tend to slow down. The soccer field portion is flat and well-marked. Entering and exiting the soccer fields are two small "bunny hills" where you descend a few steps then return up a few steps. These will be major indicators to who will finish well. If you have bad momentum coming off the soccer fields through the bunny hill, it's tough to accelerate.
Walking the course is nice to see the middle section surely, but if your team is unable to, don't worry. It is well-marked and there is nothing overly difficult terrain or turn-wise on this section. It should be a wonderful race.
So do all of Carlisle's runners just fight about the way they explain their course or...?
DeletePretty much
DeleteAll-in-all, compare this course to another one in the state. I'd like to get a perspective of how tough this course is. Is it an easy course like Lehigh? Medium course like Chesmont championships (westtown), or grueling course like Hershey? Or in-between. I've never been out to this meet, I just know sub 16's have been fairly common.
ReplyDelete-RTJ
In between Hershey and Lehigh. It isn't incredibly challenging, but hasn't yielded extremely fast times. Old course record used to be in the 15:20s I believe, but the new course will probably run 10-15 seconds slower. Add 1 or 2 more hills to Lehigh and I'd say they are reasonably similar. This course isn't easy, but is nothing like Hershey or Salesianum.
DeleteDo any teams train seven days a week or do track workouts back to back days or the day after meets?
ReplyDeleteum, a lot of teams run 7 days, right? I don't know about in cross-country, but in track season my team will do a track workout the day after a dual meet (which my coach heavily emphasizes for some reason).
DeleteThe consistent top 3 teams in the state are run like college programs. They go 7 days a week and do two a days during the school week. No wonder they burn out by college and are never heard from again.
DeleteNot true. My team(one of those top 3) runs 6 days a week and no back-to-back track workouts.
DeleteConsistently good teams may run 7 days a week and (some) will do two-a-days a couple times a week. But I don't really think many run similar workouts back to back.
ReplyDeleteRace results are now up on Penntrack! Thank you to Chester County Running Store for doing a great job with results! Thank you to Penntrack for the wonderful coverage with post-race interviews and race videos from the gator! 2116 runners competed today making it a great meet. Congratulations WCH!
ReplyDeleteWCH looked good today, but in my opinion, they have a ways to go before they catch NA. If Tony Russell had run, their 5 would have been Alex Knapp at 16:15. NA put their 5 at 16:37 on a much tougher course in Hershey. I know Henderson has the low sticks in Russell and Barchet, but still.
ReplyDelete-GBC
Knapp fell half way through the race. I'm not trying to make excuses for Henderson, just pointing it out. He was right in front of Collins and Stratman before it happened.
ReplyDelete