No one asked me, but …
Thursday’s Sound Running Cross Championship in Austin, Texas, is perhaps the only high-profile professional cross country race in the United States, other than the annual USATF Championship, slated for January in Lubbock, Texas.
And that’s a shame.
Yes, I know cross country ranks way, way low on the priority list for pro runners – little money, little prestige — but there are those of us who think that cross races eclipse anything on the road or track when it comes to excitement and competitiveness.
It’s not going to change in the U.S., even though the World Cross event each spring brings top Europeans and Africans to the starting line.
I enjoyed watching the Sound Running event last year, when the NAZ Elite men won it, and this year, when Dark Sky Distance won it. Sadly, NAZ Elite’s men didn’t face off against Dark Sky on Thursday. (Groups ran four runners, instead of five, but still had team scoring.)
Here’s a pie-in-the-sky proposal:
Let’s hold an annual Flagstaff Grand Prix Cross, featuring the local pro teams. It could be held at Buffalo Park (three loops, six miles) and sponsored either by Run Flagstaff or by the team sponsors themselves. Now, we know these are pros and they won’t race without money on the line, so the sponsors would have to cough up some serious coin.
Heck, since Nike in 2025 is expected to swoop in and take over Flagstaff with that new team coached by Mike Smith and (rumor has it) build a “campus” in our fair city, maybe that shoe behemoth could cover all the costs as a gesture of good will.
There are many reason why a Flagstaffian pro XC race won’t happen – most notably, it’d be in the off-season, base-building phase for teams and runners won’t want to risk injury – but indulge me for a moment.
Think about this showdown among the local men’s teams:
—Dark Sky Distance: Edwin Kurgat, Matt Wilkinson, Lalo Herrera, Vince Ciattei (or Neil Gourley).
—NAZ Elite: Adrian Wildschutt, Ahmed Muhumed, Wesley Kiptoo, Olin Hacker (or Tyler Day).
—Mike Smith’s Group (soon Nike): Nico Young, Abdihamid Nur, Woody Kincaid, Luis Grijalva (or a healthy Galen Rupp).
—McKirdy Trained: Yemane Haileselassie, Tsegay Tuemay, Tebello Ramakongoana, Tesfu Weldegebreal.
—All-Stars: Biya Simbassa, Rory Linkletter, Hobbs Kessler, Bryce Hoppel.
And for the women:
—Dark Sky Distance: Weini Kelati, Sharon Lokedi, Susan Ejore, Regan Yee (or Annika Reiss/Gracelyn Larkin).
—NAZ Elite: Mercy Chelangat, Abby Nichols, Krissy Gear, Katie Wasserman.
—Mike Smith Group: Nikki Hiltz, Elly Henes, Rachel Smith, Elise Cranny* (*coached by Jarred Cornfield).
—McKirdy Trained: Julia Paternain, Dani Polerecky, Sami McClintock, Angie Nickerson
—All-Stars: Calli Hauger-Thackery, Katie Izzo, Emily Durgin, Jessa Hanson.
Never mind. I’ll see myself out …
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