Okay, so I carved out some time to play with Google Earth a little sooner than I had anticipated. Once you get started on something like this...
On the assumption that CHSAA is looking for different ways to configure a state meet course at NPEC/BCRP, I decided to do some exploring on my own.
If the NPEC/BCRP course is to be reconfigured, and especially if the big hill is to be taken out of play, what would the possibilities for the state meet course look like?
You can see from the cover photo above what one course possibility would look like. A larger version of this file is linked here for download.
Let's start with a few important points.
The map you see assumes that the bulk of the course is run as two nearly identical loops, the difference being that one loop goes through the woods and over the bridges and one down what Cheyenne Mountain currently calls "The Boulevard."
The map you see further assumes that the loops are run in a clockwise fashion. Running counter-clockwise is theoretically possible but involves repeating twice a downhill section that is at least as steep as "Drop Out" on the current course and comes with an impressive bend at the bottom (probably not something you want to try to negotiate at race kind of intensity).
This course configuration would eliminate the congestion through the wooded section of the course, which currently bottlenecks a little (at least for the 4A and 5A races) at the bridges. The wooded section of the course could be run on either the first loop or the second loop, but presumably the first loop would be fine (races would be spaced out enough by the end of the loop that bottlenecking over the bridges should not occur) and would allow greater spectator visibility of the racers on the second loop as the end of the race is approaching. It will also allow racers a better view of the spacing between themselves and runners ahead of them as the end of the race is approaching.
If you download the larger map of this course, you'll find Google Earth calculated this distance as about 4935 meters. That's not quite 5000 meters, but it's also probably not exactly the distance this course would measure. You might also be able to squeeze a few more meters out of the end of the course beyond where I stopped it in the stadium. You could extend the course slightly by taking both loops through the woods, but at the expense of some spectator visibility.
We should note that this course configuration does not have a difference of 150 feet between high point and low point as the current course does, but the vertical difference between start line and high point is just slightly over 100 feet, and the difference between the low point of the second loop and the high point is just slightly over 80 feet. In short, this course has roughly the same total vertical gain, or possibly a slightly greater vertical gain, than the current configuration.
It is roughly the layout of the course used for the Doherty Invitational. A Doherty Invitational course map can be downloaded here. The Doherty Invitational does run faster than the state course, but a few features of this course would preclude this configuration from being likely to run as fast as the actual Doherty course (which never encroaches on NPEC property).
The most important differences between the Doherty course and this course would include:
- no creek crossing versus two creek crossings (and associated drops/rises)
- net negative elevation gain versus net positive elevation gain
Features, whether good or bad, of the current state course left intact by this configuration would include:
- same start line
- same finish line
- same choice imposed on spectators of being on NPEC or BCRP side of the creek (LATE EDIT: Although, someone who chose to be on the NPEC side would have time to come across the creek, view the race once on the BCRP side, then head to the finish--or--someone could start on the BCRP side, stay there as late as early in the second loop, then head over to the NPEC side for the finish. So, there is a bit more flexibility with picking sides of the course in this arrangement.)
- no change to the necessity for some runners to pass through the barns shortly after the start or any of the issues adhering to that (e.g., the path through the barns is slightly longer than the path along the south side of the barns)
- no change to the creek crossing and or any of the issues adhering to that
- the finish remains nearly 50 feet higher than the start line
One possible problematic feature of this course would be a potentially fairly hard left turn where the trail out of the creek crossing meets up with the main park trail system. Presumably, this turn could be rounded off a little, and you can see that I imposed a modest rounding of the turn on the map of course possibility.
Spectators' ability to see the race is somewhat enhanced over the current course with this version, but most of the improvement comes with visibility at what are still fairly long distances. Remember, it's a swampy mess in the middle of this loop.
Look for other course reconfiguration possibilities (I'm not sure yet how many there are) over the next few days.