masterstrack.com

Based on Ken's well-educated guess based on his inside info, along with the fact that the original meet director is now gone and the WMA regional meet at Clermont was not well received, looks promising that we won' t be going to (or staying home from) Clermont after all.

A lot of questions if this does in fact happen. Some comments on my thoughts:

1) Spokane did a very good job and I would be excited if they were to host it again. At the same time, I think it's important that while it was a very good meet a couple months ago, the Spokane Sports Commission should strive to make it even better and listens to and tries to resolve the few issues that did arise there.

2) Dates of the meet- would like to see this stay with the July date if at all possible. August really drags out the season as collegiate and masters meets were earlier. Also, an August meet makes it tough to recover well for the fall XC season. At first I thought August was good but think July would be better.

3) Possible 5-year rotation was mentioned. My choices would be:

Orono
Spokane
some Midwest site
Eugene
Mt. SAC

Obviously, pretty ideal for someone who lives on the West Coast.

Along those lines, what do those away from the West Coast think about the meet potentially being in Spokane 2 years in a row? If it were in Orono 2 years in a row, I know I wouldn't be thrilled.

Not looking forward to a West coast meet again. Although I'm sure the west coast people aren't too thrilled about the Indoor Nationals in Boston every year.

I was actually looking forward to Florida, until I saw the pics of the facility. It's hard to believe all the details weren't worked out before it was awarded there.

As far as the date goes...I like an August meet. Meets in July conflict with too many local and regional meets around here. I'd rather have the Nationals as a meet to peak for at the end of the year.

I've always been a supporter of a National meet in September, but I know too many people are against it. Some of us take time off work to go to meets...I guess others can't.

Anyways...Spokane could be an expensive trip especially with the economy the way it is. Too bad...new age group this year.

I sympathize with the runners and athletes that would be hindered by the heat in Clermont and I understand the complaints by some people who have competed there in the past. I have no experience there (Clermont or a masters national championship) so I will rely on my fellow track colleagues to have informative posts to form my opinion on the subject.

The only thing I hope happens is that if they do choose to move nationals from Clermont that they still keep it on the east coast region. It was my first year I could throw as a master and I couldn't because I couldn't afford to fly to Spokane with all my implements and driving just wasn't an option this summer either. I wouldn't have a problem with Orono because most people on this site gave it a pretty good review after the meet was completed. I also wouldn't mind if the Ohio rumor came true because that is within two hours of my house.

I would love it if they took mellowjohnny's suggestion and made a rotation as to who would hold the meets because you'd know in advance where you were going so you could save ahead of time and make a plan to attend. The sites would also benefit because they'd be able to make improvements from year to year, ultimately creating multiple places that run great national championships that would result in continuous national championships that would be run as they should be year in and year out. Right now you have a good year then a bad year then an okay year then... etc. This would allow a consistent level of excellence for the meet, a consistent flow of income for the area every so many years, and fair placement of meets from region to region.

My only change would be to the sites mellowjohnny suggested. Make three different regions and alternate from year to year.
2009 East Coast
2010 West Coast
2011 Central
2012 East Coast
and etc..
and within each of these regions have three or four places that rotate each time the region's turn in the rotation comes up. I'm not a veteran on the circuit so I can't suggest places for each region but there has to be three or four good places in each region that could be rotated within each regions turn to keep it fresh every year for the athletes.

You may want to even rotate the area in each region when that region's turn comes up so that people could have a chance to have it closer to there home at some point. For example west coast could rotate from Mt. SAC/Sacramento to Eugene to Spokane. Then the central region could rotate between three different places within that region and the same for the east coast. I don't know if this would be possible but it seems it might be a fair way to do things.

Just my opinion but thought I'd share it with you all. Don't tear me up too bad guys I'm just a rookie to this masters cicuit.

I went to Clermont this August, and I am really glad they are going to lose the 2009 Nationals. Everything that people said about the conditions were so true. I have gone to many track meets over the past two years and I have not seen one that was bad as Clermont.
I think they should alternate between the east coast and west coast, it makes it easier for the Athletics pocketbooks

Being from western PA, I would love to see the meet moved to neighboring Ohio. I wasn't planning on going to Florida this year, mostly because of wallet concerns. Long-range goal was to save up for Sac for Worlds in '11 and if things look good, possibly making the preview trip to Sac for nationals in '10.
The move to Ohio might only benefit me and people like me from this region. I can live with the decision to move the meet other places as well, although I probably won't break the bank to attend. I agree with the idea of a rotation and the major concern of having the meet at a quality facility. Regardless, this has peaked my interest and I hope news of the new site comes out soon - I need to step up my training if the meet moves!!

It would be nice if the national meet could be rotated across the country but in order to do so, someone from each of the suggested sections would have to bid for the meet in the designated year and then have it awarded to them, by vote, at the national convention.

The bids frequently do not reflect this request and in some cases the site selection committee is searching for sites up to the cut-off date for applications.

If anyone would like to become involved in the process, they should come to the national convention and let their preferences be known.

This year, the convention is in Reno the first week in December.

Get involved in your sport and make a difference.

Hope to see you in Reno

Tim Edwards

I think CoachApisa is right on with a true, cross-country rotation. Selfishly, I put out a rotation that would benefit me but it was somewhat a joke and truly, I think a rotation that hits different parts of the country would be best and the most equitable.

In terms of Indoor Nats, my personal thoughts are that I don't see it as being nearly as big a meet as Outdoors and wouldn't even go to it if it was in Oregon. My training is focused on outdoors and I never enjoyed indoors in college. Also, being a steepler, outdoors is where it's at.

So the argument of "East Coast 'always' gets indoors so West Cost should always get outdoors" doesn't fly with me (even though I wouldn't mind it always being out here- just not fair to have it that way). It's all about Outdoors.

How about Anchorage Alaska. The summers are wonderful and never over 70 degrees in July. You also have about 21 hours of daylight at that time of the year. I know that a few years ago they were going to bid for Nationals but I have not heard anything since.

Tim Edwards,

Scottsdale Az

Well, maybe another year -- since 2009 will be pricey enough!

But I still appreciate the idea!

Vote for your preferred site here:
http://masterstrack.com/blog/002844.html

Having the Nationals in Alaska would kill the athletes from Phoenix. The change in temperature would be too much for them.

HEY we should have Nationals HERE!!! AZ!!!! July for sure. They did the youth regionals here last summer in July. (Is that evil or what?) Oh and anyone remember the weight pent in 2007. We were locked out of the facility on the asphalt parking lot until 10 minutes before meet time which was 5:00pm. I think it was 114, or something like that. It was HOT!!! As I was leaving home that day to get to the meet my husband said "why do you do this?" I laughed. I said "I don't know" and "because I love it."

Ha! Funny one, Discusdoc.

What you don't realize is, we happy few here on the "Surface of the Sun" have a secret weapon for the cold-winter coats! In fact, I am wearing mine right now since our low tonite will be a frigid 66 degrees. Got the heat on in the house too. So there.

S, Wright, M46