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Event Results 

2024 USATF Connecticut Association Junior Olympic XC Championship Recap

USA Track & Field

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By Bob Fontaine, USATF-CT Treasurer

Sunny skies and favorable temperatures made for a perfect day of cross-country competition on Sunday November 10 at the USATF CT Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship held at White Memorial in Litchfield CT. Ten races were contested based on 2-year age groupings of male and female athletes from ages 8 and under and ending with a group of 15–18-year-olds. There were 167 athletes competing, with the top fifteen individuals earning medals/ribbons. The top 30, along with the top 5 teams, moved on to the Region 1 meet that was held on Sunday, November 17, at Ocean Breeze Athletic complex at Staten Island.  The Region 1 meet had 864 competitors with 25 Connecticut athletes and one team (New Canaan Blazers) qualifying for the National Championship scheduled for December 14, 2024, in Shelbyville, IN.

 

For complete results:

 

 

 

As the current Treasurer, and former President of USATF CT, and on behalf of the CT Association, thank all the athletes who participated in this year’s cross-country season. We also thank our supportive parents, dedicated coaches, officials, and meet organizers who made all of this possible.

 

For those unfamiliar with the sport of cross country, races are contested are over trails, grass, and other terrains. Distances range from 2K (1.24 miles) – 5K (3.1 miles) depending on the athlete’s age. Cross country is both an individual and a team event. Five athletes from each team score points based on their place of finish. The points are totaled, and the lowest score wins. Teams must have five finishers to be included in the scoring. One of the beauties of Cross country is that all athletes compete, and no one “sits the bench”. Another great aspect of the sport is that athletes are not only competing as a team against other runners in the race, but also competing against themselves, working to improve their times and performances.

 

 

 

Successful training for cross country follows the same basic training guidelines used when preparing for road races or long-track events. Long runs, tempo work, and long and short intervals, interspersed with maintenance and recovery runs, are the basic building blocks of training. For cross country, however, you need to incorporate terrain, elevation, and course changes that mimic what will be encountered on race day.

 

Often runners are afraid of hills and their times suffer as a result. Being successful at hill racing becomes a “state of mind”.  Training on hills provides both physical and mental advantages, improving success.

 

Practice on a variety of surfaces. Get off the roads and run on grass and trails. Keep your mind focused on not tripping over roots and rocks, not on the pain of the workout.

 

In a race, get out to a fast, but not too fast, start. Know the pace you can handle and go with it.

Much of racing success is mental. Focus on the athletes in front of you, and work toward them. Remember you are racing, not just running! It is always more fun to pass than to be passed.

 

Best of luck in your future racing.

 

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