Final Instructions & Box Assignments: MileStat.com XC Invite

Course Maps:

• High School 5K
• Middle School 4K

Final Instructions:

1. Box Assignments - Posted below. Remember that we will have open individual starting boxes on both starting line ends of each race for athletes not on full squads.
2. Early Packet Pick Up On Friday At The Course - If your team is coming to preview the course on Friday or local coach that would like to stop by, we will have a packet pickup tent open starting at 2 PM on Friday at the course until the park closes at dusk. Coaches can also pay any entry fee owed at this time. Will save some of you waiting in line on Saturday morning having to get your packets. 
3. Weather Forecast - The forecast is calling for rain much of the day and as much as 1 inch of rain total for the day. The course typically handles rain and absorbs it pretty well. This meet will not be cancelled or postponed due to rain. If there happens to be severe weather such as lightning then there will be delays, but fingers cross we just have some light rain and overcast keeping temps cool for decent racing conditions. But this is XC and rain is not something to scare us away like other sports. 
4. Disposable Chips - This is the first year that the meet will be using disposable chip tags that are already attached to each runner's bib. So there will be no need to collect chips like in years past from your runners which will be a time saver and one less worry for us all, but makes it also very important that you make sure each athlete is distributed and wearing their specifically assigned bib number when they are at the start line. No bib = no time. 
5. B Squads allowed in Emerging Elite - If you are a team in the elite race and have a JV squad as well in the morning session with more than 17 JV runners. You have the option to move up a max of 10 of runners to run as a "B" squad in the emerging elite. We are doing this to spread out the numbers for our JV morning races, which should be our largest race of the day. Please let me know if you would like to add a "B" squad  to emerging elite with your next group of JV races. This only applies to teams with varsity squad in the elite race and a large JV squad. 
6. JV Afternoon Race is now Co-Ed Combined - Due to light entry numbers for the JV girls afternoon race, we have decided to combine the JV boys and girls race for the afternoon session and that race will start as our final race of the day at 3:05 PM,. Awards will remain the same separated for both genders for individual (top 15) and team (top 2) though. 
7. Individual Athletes Racing Up in Elite/Emerging Elite - Teams may elect to have some of their elite individual athletes race up separate from their team in the elite and emerging elite as long as they have the following 5K PRs. Elite boys - Sub 17, Elite Girls - Sub 20, Emerging Elite - 17:00-18:00, Emerging Elite Boys - 20:00-21:00. Also teams that did not have enough runners (5 or more) to be assigned to a race division can run as individuals in other varsity or JV races if did not meet the time standards for elite or emerging elite. Those athletes simply need to be wearing their assigned bib from the team packet during their race. No declaration needed. Coach's decision though as athletes can just as well as race with their entire team in their assigned team race just as well. 
8. Individuals Moving Up Into Morning Session Does Not Mean Your Team Can Move Up From Afternoon! - I have gotten several coaches with teams assigned to the afternoon session asking if they have a few individuals that qualify and can run in the elite or emerging elite if they can have the full squad then run in the morning session as well....my answer is a HARD NO on that. If we allowed that, we would have a serious problem with parking and crowd control. We have to try and spread the number of teams out evenly between the two sessions. The only way a full team has been moved into the morning session if they did not meet the rankings criteria to qualify is one of their full squads of one gender qualified or had another legimitimate conflict such as teams trying to get back home for their homecoming festivies. Individuals that want to run separate for their team in afternoon can work out transportation separately such as traveling to the meet with their parent or another coach, but we simply do not have room to add any more full squads to our morning session. Please help us and buy in if team is placed in the afternoon or ottherwise future years going to have to simply cap this meet to smaller numbers. Next year, we are planning on having races on Friday as well to help give more options to teams.
9. Warmup Area - Remind your athletes that warmups are NOT ALLOWED on the paved roads at Pole Green Park. There is plenty of trails and fields at the park which they can run on to warmup including the original Pole Green Park woods loop as well as athletic fields, but no. running on the roads is a very strict policy by the park officials to ensure runners safety with vehicle traffic. 
10. Bus Parking - Buses will be directed by meet volunteers on where to drop off teams and athletes as they drive into Pole Green Park, but no buses will be allowed to park at Pole Green Park. The buses can park at these two nearby elementary schools in Mechanicsville. Battlefield Park Elementary at 5501 Mechanicsville Tnpk, Mechanicsville, VA 23111 and at Laurel Meadow Elementary School at 8248 Lee-Davis Rd, Mechanicsville, VA 2311. 
11. Bus Pickup - Another important note when it comes to buses is only call your bus drivers to return back to pick up your team when your squad is ready to leave the meet. This will make the pick up process a lot smoother with buses not waiting on teams still packing up to leave. 
12. Afternoon Teams Arrival - Recommend that buses and spectators for the afternoon session wait to arrive at the course in that 11:30 PM - 12:30 PM window. This will make it easier for parking and traffic with those leaving from the morning session finishing up  after the last race finishes 
13. Awards - Medals for individuals will be handed out in the finish line chute as athletes finish. Team trophies can be picked up by teams/coaches as soon as the results are announced each race and there is a podium for teams and photo ops with their trophies. Top 25 individuals in all varsity and middle school races, top 15 in all JV races, and top 10/per gender in open race receive medals. Top 5 teams in elite race, top 3 in emerging elite, large schools varsity, small schools, and middle school, and top 2 in each JV session will receive trophies. 
14. Results - Will be posted online during the event each race is officially completed on the meet page on MileStat and MileSplit here: https://va.milesplit.com/meets/506091-milestatcom-xc-invitational-2023
15. Live Stream - Let those that cannot attend the meet that it will be live streamed and can watch the races here. Plus there will archived race videos and photo gallery posted after the event for coverage.
16. T-Shirts & Food Vendors - Both T-Shirts will be sold on site as well as several food vendors that accept card and cash.
17. Coaches Meeting - Morning session coaches meeting will be held at 8 am between the finish and start line area as well as the afternoon session coaches meeting will held in the same area at 12:45 PM. 

Final Schedule: 

Saturday, October 14th

Morning Session7:15 AM Sunrise + Course Opens7:30 AM Packet Pickup Begins (Open all day thru afternoon session)

7:45 AM Open Race -Unattached HS runners, coaches, parents, alumni, etc. welcome in sub 30 minute 5K shape.

8:00 AM Coaches Meeting for Morning Session

8:30 AM Elite Boys Race (10 runners max/team)

8:55 AM Elite Girls Race (10 runners max/team)

9:25 AM Emerging Elite Boys Race (10 runners max/team)

9:50 AM Emerging Elite Girls Race (10 runners max/team)

10:20 AM JV Boys Morning Race (Unlimited Runners/team)

10:50 AM JV Girls Morning Race (Unlimited Runners/Team)

Transition Session

11:30-12:30 PM Break for Morning High School Teams To Leave & Afternoon High School Teams to Arriv

11:30 AM Middle School Girls 4K

11:50 AM Middle School Boys 4K

Afternoon Session

12:45 PM Coaches Meeting for Afternoon Session

1:15 PM Large Schools Varsity Boys Race (10 runners max/team)

1:40 PM Large Schools Varsity Girls Race (10 runners max/team)

2:10 PM Small Schools Varsity Boy Race (10 runners max/team)

2:35 PM Small Schools Varsity Girls Race (10 runners max/team)

3:05 PM JV Boys & Girls Combined Afternoon Race (Unlimited Runners)

3:45 PM Meet Finish