I've been attending the Champs/Eastbay/Footlocker Northeast meet since 2016. This year was pitiful. There was no buzz or excitement like all the past years. I counted twelve team tents and two of them were mine.
Low numbers in every race. I think the championship boys only had about 170 starters. The top 3-4 in the championship races were legit but I don't think the rest of them have much of a chance in San Diego.
They also didn't have an awards ceremony after each race like they used to. Everyone was just waiting around the awards tent for thirty minutes until you could pick up your medal.
The course is barely decorated. And would it kill them to have some tangent lines drawn to help the runners in the opening mile before they go into the woods? Every race started off slightly in the wrong direction because you can't see the first turn from the start. They should have the course lined with banners to help direct the runners.
They also randomly put a clock on the course at the entrance to the woods. Alot of people thought it was the first mile mark. It wasn't a mark for any distance in particular.
This isn't coming from someone who's never been to VCP. My kids race there 3-4 times every year so we know our way around the course but for people who only come there for one race it has to be hugely disappointing.