What do you think of our proposal to make World XC the primary way to qualify for Worlds/Olympics in the 10,000?

It wouldn't be ice packed- they can easily design a course and keep it clear for the race.

I like the idea of it being in the winter games- they're dying a sad and slow death, this would bring viewers from parts of the world who don't compete in winter sports.

Believe it or not cross-country is more popular than luge or bobsled or most of the winter sports.

I think world xc should not be a way to qualify for any 10,000. This dilutes competition at fast 10,000s, which there are already too few of.

Here's my 2 cents, a proposal for a 4 year cycle of major championships that repeats itself.

Year 1: Ekiden road relay in January (pro teams, not national teams),
World relays in May

Year 2: World Championships (all events the same as we currently have them)

Year 3: World XC in January (8k), World indoors in April

Year 4: Olympics (all events the same as we currently have them)

Tell me that wouldn't be more interesting and entertaining than having a summer World champs on the track every year.

I see posts like this all the time. Where will the money come from? The Saudis are the only ones who will fund a sport without any concern about revenues.

My take us that XC should just be its own sport in the winter Olympics. The championships are usually in the winter anyways, and it would be exciting and raise the level of XC overall if it were an Olympic sport.

For 10k qualification I don't like making all the qualifiers go through xc. They are different sports almost, and as few 10k races as there are, there are fewer XC ones that matter for US runners. Everything is overseas. They should add some 10ks to the diamond league maybe do you get more opportunities to race and loosen the standard.

If WA wants to keep using XC for 10k qualification there should be more XC races. Also, road 10ks count too, not sure how that should factor.

what about the athlete that runs well on the track but not on the country? there are many of us, you know. footing and biomechanics are completely different. if you're going to choose the team for a track 10k based on a xc race, i think it's only fair to choose the 100m team based on a race at the beach on sand.

If it isn’t run on ice/snow it isn’t eligible to be in the Winter Olympics. Basketball is a winter sport. It is in the summer Olympics because of that rule. And so on with a dozen sports that are in the summer games. It amazes me people struggle with this absurdly simple concept…

Don't try to make WXC matter on the cost of the 10 000 meters. The 25lapfever would die if you exclude the qualification races. We have to learn how to organize, produce and show the 10 000 meters as well as XC races.

It says a lot that WA didn't even think about the fact that the Belgrade races did not prepare for spectators! I made the same conclusion as Elizabeth Egan while running on the course the day before and even more during the races, when we officials also had a restricted area to coach on. We had to negotiate during the last hour to extend our area.

The 25lapfever (the proper name of 10 000 meters) is an exciting race if you manage to describe what happens, something that Flotrack didn't during The Ten, actually even the Night of the 1000 PB's lacks the skills. But it's doable, from the lowest level to the Olympics.

My concern is that not everyone can participate in World XC.

In countries like the US where qualification is through another race that’s alright with me since you could see nationals as a first round for Olympic qualification, but in countries where federations choose the team or where federations send limited teams due to costs we’d effectively be denying athletes not sent to the race a chance to try for an Olympic spot spot, and I’m not ok with that. One of the cool things about a qualifying time standard is anyone is free to give it a shot anywhere in the world.

Still waiting until they finally add Snowshoe XC running to the Winter Olympics. So obviously needs to be done.