XC Nationals leaving Terre Haute, coming to Eugene in 2011!

Wow... this is very good news for the Pilots!

http://tribstar.com/sports/x657346441/NCAA-cross-country-nationals-changing-courses

The NCAA is finally going to start rotating the XC national meet. All of Portland's top runners will be juniors and seniors in 2011, and who knows what kind of recruits we'll have in by then as well.... I know it sounds crazy, but could there be a better place for UP to gun for a national championship than at a meet in our own backyard? I love it!!!

Maybe we can get regionals in Portland that year too.

I think an unchanged climate for that race should help us as well. There have been some super cold race days in Terre Haute (?) in the past, way way colder than any training run our guys are doing in Nov/Dec in Portland. Can't be an easy transition.

Some talk here about having it at Portland Meadows, pros and cons etc
http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=3605079
Scroll down to see original comment from Lananna:
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/sports/24972119-41/meet-championships-field-record-track.csp

Having the meet at Portland Meadows would be awesome... 3.5 miles from campus!

Question: Would they make the runners start in that metal starting gate?

No reason they couldn't do it at Blue Lake park, they do regionals there sometimes. Kind of a boring course, but great for spectators.

Agreed on Blue Lake on both sentiments...

Haha I suppose having it at the horse track would allow the unique instance of being able to watch the entire race from a grandstand hahahaha, will the sports book be open?