The 2008 course for the PIAA Foundation XC Invitational (pre-States), is posted. The finish is now beside the start, but the same great (Aloha) hills you've come to know and love are still there. This year the PIAA has also added two JV races.
Blue Girls |
Gold Girls |
Blue Boys |
Gold Boys |
JV Girls |
JV Boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:30 am | 10:15 am | 11:00 am | 11:45 am | 12:30 pm | 1:15 pm |
2008 course map in PDF | Poop-Out Hill Video | Photo Gallery by Mile
But enough about what you know. What you don't know is gonna thrill most of you, and maybe scare a few. But the biggest difference between the finish from the first two years in the history of the Parkview course is that the finish can actually change the outcome of the race over the final 400 meters. I'll get into a few details in a sec, but first let me tell you about the minor tweaks before the big (and we mean big) finish.
The start is the same. You have 300 meters before a sweeping right hand turn to run between a road and the parking lot. But where you turned left and headed toward the trail introduced in 2007, you turn right, and go down a hill. You'll see this section again with about a half mile to go. But at the start, you bear left and enter a newly constructed trail (Hershey spent a lot of money on construction again), and enter the woods. This trail soon reconnects with the original trail at the base of that nasty downhill which has been eliminated as a downhill (remember this). Then the course is exactly the same through the mile and to the top of that hill and to the turn to the right. But this year, it does not cross the entire fairway, but instead takes a right and heads straight for the downhill leading to the first major bridge. This also has been rebuilt. Turn left onto a sweeping fairway and pass the falcon (yes, falcon) cages to your right. Head into the trail by the creek and then turn left across the second major bridge and into a see of cheering fans. The "Aloha Hills" (named because fans who stay by the bridge get to say goodbye - hello - goodbye - hello - goodbye in the space of a few minutes.
When the runners return for the final time, they cross back over the bridge. But instead of taking the steep right to set up the old finish, they take the steep left and head back up the trail. Now, if you remember the nasty downhill I described that has been dropped from the opening 800 meters - that is now a nasty little uphill to the right. At the top, you're still rising a little before taking a sweeping downhill left over the new portion you crossed at 600 meters into the race. But instead of going on the new trail that started your race, you turn right and head down a somewhat steep hill, cross a road, and there, in full view to your right, you'll see the infamous sewage treatment plant. Keeping it to your right, you head completely around it on a nice section, before exiting into another former fairway. And there, with about 400 meters to go, you see "Poop-Out Hill." (Sorry, could nor resist). We have a video below, along with a complete photo gallery of the course. (linked above).
At the top of the hill, which annoyingly turns to the right as it continues to climb, you'll make a sweeping left, and recovering completely from your recently acquired oxygen debt, you'll begin your final 200m sprint to the finish.
This course may require individual race plans and strategies for each runners. Because if you use your reserves before the final 800, you may find yourself paying with a lot of people passing. It should make for some incredible finishes this year, and hopefully, for many years to come.
Enjoy! Definitely the best of the three. Now, if only the wind blows the right way.
