Frequently Asked Questions
What do all of the high school varsity divisions mean? Which should I enter?
We have two elite/invitational divisions and three open divisions. Our elite races are seeded, meaning we will place only the top teams into them. On the entry form, coaches may request which race they want to be in. Those opting to be a part of one of the two elite races will be considered for a spot; however, that spot is not guaranteed. We will seed teams in mid-September. We will decide, based on the strength of the team, which race we feel the team would best fit into. Coaches, your input is strongly considered and welcome--if you feel we might not know enough information about your team to properly decide, send a polite email with the inside scoop! Teams not accepted into the elite race of their choice will simply be dropped down into the appropriate race.
RACE OF CHAMPIONS - This is our most elite race and is reserved only for the most elite teams entered. Teams that qualify will be considered at or around the top ten in 3A/4A or top six for 1A/2A. Only 25 teams admitted.
INVITATIONAL - This is our second tier for teams that are very good, but not quite at ROC level yet. Teams seeking to be entered here should be at or around top twenty for 3A/4A or top 15 for 1A/2A.
SMALL SCHOOL - This race is open to all varsity 1A and 2A teams.
LARGE SCHOOL - This race is open to all varsity 3A and 4A teams.
VARSITY OPEN - This race is open to all teams.
What about the JV races? Blue and White? What's the difference?
The JV Blue race is on Friday, the JV White is on Saturday. The White race will be the most competitive just because of the stronger varsity races are on Saturday.
I have a situation........ and ____ does not have a race number. Can this athlete run and just not go through the chute?
No. All athletes must have a valid race number to run. No "phantom" athletes will be allowed, even if they vow to cut off the course early.
My team is not that good, but I have one or two really elite athletes. Can they run in one of the elite races individually?
Please keep in mind that all of our divisions are competitive. The winning times in the small and large school divisions last year were both under 17:00 for boys and under 20:00 for girls. The qualifying standards for individual entries into our elite races are as follows:
Race of Champions: Boys - 16:00; Girls - 19:00.
Invitational: Boys - 17:00; Girls - 20:00.
There is no additional entry fee for these individuals if their team is competing in another race. We also welcome individual entries whose teams are not attending the meet (with their coach's blessing of course), those athletes will be charged $10 for an individual entry.
Aren't those individual entry standards too strict?
No, they are not. All of our races will have fast runners. For the most part athletes should run with their team. This is the exception to the rule and intended for extreme cases only.
How many athletes can I run in the varsity race?
Seven.
Can I enter a second varsity team?
No.
How many athletes can I run on my junior varsity, middle school, or college team?
As many as you want.
Do all of my athletes have to have a race number to run?
Absolutely.
Can I give this athlete another athlete's race number?
Please don't.
Can I have a runner cut off the course just before the finish?
No, everyone needs to have a number and be registered.
Do I ned to go to the coaches meeting?
No. However, you will not have the opportunity to ask questions of the meet directors if you don't attend. Our volunteers will be handing out the packets and will probably not know the answer to your question. We encourage coaches to be at the coaches meeting if they have questions; however, the meeting is optional.
Where is the coaches meeting?
It will be held in the Student Union meeting room.
When and where is packet pickup?
Packets will be available starting at 2:00pm on Friday and 6:30am on Saturday at the meet headquarters tent.
Will the race fill up? Will you turn away teams?
In past years (including last year), we have sometimes filled up and unfortunately had to tell some teams that there were no more slots. We have one more varsity division than last year, so we hope that will not happen again in 2007, but it could easily happen. Enter early.
Are we going to be assigned a starting lane?
No, we've tried that and it's much more raw to leave that up to you! We will have lanes drawn at the start line, however it will be up to you to get your team into position and claim your lane. First come, first serve. In all races EXCEPT FOR the JV and Community races, team lanes will be enforced--one team per lane. In the JV races there may be too many runners and the start will be more like a road race.
How many lanes are there? How many teams will you accept per race?
We will be setting up 40 lanes. We will allow up to 35 teams--the other 5 lanes are for individuals. Race of Champions we only allow 25 teams.
Can we set up team tents?
Yes, there will be plenty of room to set up your team camps and tents!
Are there changing facilities?
Yes, there will be a locker room facility at the gym available.
What about restrooms?
We will have port-a-potties set up. There will be some indoor restrooms available in the college locker room and ball fields as well.
Will there be traffic backups?
We have a creative solution this year! There are two gates and two routes (north and south) to get to the course. Both are equally as good and just as fast. While we will not be enforcing this as a rule, we are instructing all teams starting with A-L to use the south entrance and teams M-Z to use the north entrance. Do this and traffic will flow much smoother. But with 15,000 people attending the meet, there is bound to be some backups at key times, so plan accordingly! Buses have a separate entrance on Jay Jay Road.
Where will the buses park?
There will be bus parking near the soccer fields. Buses should enter on Jay Jay Road.
Will we have open access to the course?
Yes, the course will be entirely open to spectators. Please respect our course marshall's instructions and be mindful of the races going on! Especially when crossing bridges!
Will there be medical staff available?
Yes, we will have an ALS ambulance unit on site and first aid (band-aids and such) at the meet headquarters. Also the hospital is adjacent to the community college for emergencies.
Will we be able to bring in coolers for drinks?
Yes. This is not Disney.
Have a different question?
Contact jason@flrunners.com for other questions.