The PAUSATF Cross Country Grand Prix series continues Saturday at the Presidio Challenge in San Francisco. Races begin at 8:30am with the master's men, followed by the women's race at 9:15am and the open men's race at 10:00am. All races are 3.55 miles. The race will start and finish at Julius Kahn Playground, along the Presidio’s southern border between Arguello and Presidio Gates (at Pacific Ave and Spruce St).
Men Masters runners beginning their race at last year's Presidio Challenge (photo by Carolynne Juarez)
The course is hilly, but runners get two chances over the same hills, so the second time around they are certain to improve over the first lap. Thankfully the course does end with a long downhill stretch that takes runners into a flat grassy ball field for a final all-out kick to the finish. An observation on that point. Too few runners have truly invested themselves in the spirit of competition at the four races held so far this year, with very few choosing to sprint at the end of the race.
There is no etiquette involved with respectfully passing your fellow runner at the end of the race. In fact, runners are supposed to try. This is competition, and racing means finishing strong. Members of a cross country team are expected to pass every single runner they can, in order to improve upon their team's score. If a runner sprints to pass another runner, and the second runner responds with their own sprint, both runners will benefit from finishing with a time that is a few seconds faster than if they hadn't sprinted. Get out there and sprint this Saturday. Show me the speed.
New Balance Excelsior does an excellent job of organizing this race. Conditions are almost always cool and overcast, which is a nice contrast to races that have been held in hot weather this season. Last year Excelsior passed out cases of canned artichoke pesto to runners after the meet. Come out this weekend and join in the fun of cross country racing.
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