MIAA Division 2B Championship, 11/13/21

 Meet Site:

Gardner Municipal Golf Course. The clubhouse is on Eaton Street, but the start/finish area is around the corner on Green Street. According to the map below parking areas are at the corner of Eaton and Green Streets.

Bus time 9 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. 

Race Schedule and Entries:

Boys Race 11:30
Girls Race 12:15           

 Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy with a slight chance of rain showers, temperature in the low 50s with E winds 5-10 mph. An up to date forecast for Gardner can be seen here. It will have rained on the course the day before, the ground will be soft underfoot. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down.  
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmups will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent.
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.
• Stay off the tees and greens of the golf course while warming up. Stay out of the sand traps as well.

Course Map (click to enlarge):

 

• link to course map online that can be zoomed in and out if you like

• The course consists of two loops around the golf course from the starting line, with an extra 400 yards at the end from the starting line to the finish line. The course can best be described as "rolling." How rolling is in the eye of the beholder. There are also multiple turns on the course. It's important to preview the course by walk/jogging the loop well ahead of your race. Since the course covers the same loop twice you don't have to cover the entire 5k to see it all.
 

• the course is entirely on grass, spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

 
• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers.  

• Qualification for next week's Divisional State Meet at Wrentham is covered on page 4 of this document. Since the format of the MIAA Cross Country Tournament has changed dramatically this year I wrote a document comparing the old system to the new system. The other teams in Division 2B are listed on page 2 of this document.

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts
• spare change of clothes so you can return your uniform when we return to WHS
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race.

• lunch for after your race

• a bag to put wet clothes in
• Water bottle (filled)
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• Folding chair
• Blanket (optional)

For Parents:

• A parking fee will no doubt be collected, I have no idea what it is. The fan parking area will no doubt be a complete mess, especially with the rainy forecast for Friday and possibly Saturday morning. In the past when visiting this course I've been able to park for free in the Mt. Wachusett CC parking lots across the street from the golf course. These can be accessed by taking a left on Matthews Street off route 140. See google maps for what I'm talking about.
• We hope to return to WHS around or a little after 2:30 PM.
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course, best to leave them home.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.