USATF-NE unveils new XC Grand Prix
Posted Friday, 20 July, 2007
USATF-New England has announced it will host a Cross Country Grand Prix series this fall.
Similar to the road race Grand Prix, the seven-race XC Grand Prix will include both team and individual scoring throughout the series, which kicks off on Aug.19 at the Vasque Moose on the Loose Relay and wraps up Nov. 18 at the USATF-NE XC Championships in Franklin Park.
“I think this is going to be a great way to bring cross country racing back into focus here in New England,” said GBTC’s Bill Newsham, founder and organizer of the series. “We’ve had some great smaller races in the area that many runners may not have known about, so we tried to include a mix of larger races like Mayor’s Cup and more local races in the series. We’re also emphasizing the team aspects of XC in these events.”
Anthony Chamberas, co-race director of the Thomas Chamberas 5K XC Race, agrees that XC is too often an afterthought in the New England racing scene and the series will go a long way towards “bringing cross country back” in New England. “When Bill first approached us with this idea, we were really excited both to be included as one of the events, but also happy to see the creation of a XC Grand Prix here in New England. I think it’s going to be very popular.”
A traditional XC scoring system will be used to determine team champions at respective races. Teams must consist of three to five USATF-registered members depending on the age group.
For more information on the rules of the Grand Prix, see http://www.usatfne.org/cross/2007-xc-gp-rules.pdf
USATF-NE XC Grand Prix Schedule
August 19 - Vasque Moose on the Loose 4 x 2.5 mile Relay, Nashua NH (Note: Only team scores kept at this race)
August 25 - Thomas Chamberas 5K, Carlisle, MA
September 30 - Topsfield XC Festival - Bradley Palmer Park, Topsfield MA
October 7 - Wayland XC Challenge 5K - Wayland MA
October 28 - Mayor's Cup - Franklin Park, Boston MA
November 4 - Amherst XC Festival - Amherst NH
November 18 - USATF-NE Championships, Franklin Park, Boston MA
For the latest information on the series, see:
http://www.usatfne.org/cross/2007-xc-gp.htm or contact Bill Newsham at wnewsham@gmail.com
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