By Kyle Merber
November 22, 2023
For the first time since 1987, the NCAA Cross Country Championships returned to the University of Virginia. This iteration took place at Panorama Farms, a venue that has never before hosted an event of this scale. An undertaking like this wasn’t without its logistical challenges, most notably that fans who tried to purchase tickets in the few days before were unable to do so. The meet was sold out – a brand new issue that running fans are unaccustomed to. Everyone has an opinion, and fans clamoring for the sport to reach a level of mainstream popularity are having second thoughts. After all you never have to worry about saving a seat at the loser table.
But for those who managed to get in to spectate the meet, the weather was ideal for standing in the middle of a large field, leading many in attendance to compare the scene to Woodstock, but with less mud and a much less permissive attitude toward… well, everything that went on at Woodstock. There wasn’t a lot to do in the lead-up to the race once at the Farms, except walk around asking people who their picks were, so that’s mostly what people did. The Brits think “real” cross country means trudging through mud, but is there a better way to pay homage to the origins of the sport than not having cell service for a couple of hours?
With a final attendance of 6,723, this was the biggest outpouring of fans in recent history for NCAAs. Despite shuttles having to usher the meet-goers on-site from mall parking lots miles away, they still showed up undeterred by that extra step. While qualifying teams were given plenty of reserved tickets for athletes’ families, their teammates who road-tripped to Charlottesville were not turned away on the day of the meet. Tickets were not strictly checked and there was plenty of space in fields big enough for cows to graze in.
Johnny Pace / @PacePhoto
Walking away from what was a great spectator experience, my first take is that we need more meets on the East Coast. Charlottesville isn’t a huge city – it’s only got 45,000 year round residents – but it’s a drivable distance from a number of densely populated cities. Unlike in track and field, where meets require stadiums of a certain caliber and athletes want specific weather to compete in, cross country can be run anywhere, in any conditions. Why not go on a mobile tour by jumping around to different host cities? As we know, going back to the same place twice a year on an annual basis gets boring quickly. To draw interest, it’s helpful to have a change of venue.
One of the most appreciated aspects of this year’s course was that it was very European, not in that there was a lack of spice, but it looped around itself, making it very spectator friendly. There are basically infinite grass fields waiting to be stomped on that can be turned into a two-kilometer loop within 100 miles of a major city! Next year the meet returns to Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a great course, and while not in the northeast, there are about 8.5 million people who live within a two-hour drive, so close enough.
Johnny Pace / @PacePhoto
There are certain events during the year that should be viewed as being at the top of the funnel in terms of capturing the attention of future distance running fans. The NCAA Championships are one of them. If you are showing up to watch this meet, whether it’s in-person or on television, then you have demonstrated a more-than-mild interest in the sport. Many of those viewers are not regular consumers of the Diamond League or professional running, but they are the target demographic we should be trying to convert.
That makes every aspect of this meet’s presentation crucial. It’s an incredible opportunity to convince someone that this sport is cool and it’s worth seeing more of. How do you turn NCAAs into a meet worth traveling to even if you don’t have a dog in the fight?
There’s currently downtime before the races start. Perhaps that’s a good slot to fit in a tailgate or pre-game show? Or after the awards ceremony Taylor Swift comes out to perform? How expensive could that possibly be? It could make sense to combine the enthusiasm runners have for racing, themselves, with spectating – how about a mass participant or alumni race? Nothing would give fans greater appreciation for how fast Parker Valby is than if they had to find out by just how much she would beat them.
Kyle Merber
After hanging up his spikes – but never his running shoes – Kyle pivoted to the media side of things, where he shares his enthusiasm, insights, and experiences with subscribers of The Lap Count newsletter, as well as viewers of CITIUS MAG live shows.
