Race Day
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Pre Meet Preparation — The coach will give instructions for the athletes. What parents can do before school meets is check with your child to see where the best place to watch may be or ask returning parents from prior year. For Invitational meets you can go online to determine the course route. Again, check with returning runners or parents to find out the best places to watch or take pictures from.
During invitational’s there are many races that will occur during the course of the meet. Most Saturday meets last about half a day to mid afternoon. It is important to find out what time your child is racing so you won’t miss the start of the race.
Once the coach has checked in the team a race number, number bid, and/or race chip for racing shoe will be distributed to each assigned runner. Usually before the races begin the team is allowed to walk the course to familiarize themselves with it. About an 45 minutes before the assigned race the participating team will warm up by jogging around the grounds and stretching. At the starting line the coach may give some last minute instructions. As soon as the team starts warming up it is important that parents and family go to cheer allowing the runner and coach to prepare for the race.
The Race – Unlike other sports, spectators do not stay in one place to watch the race. They usually move from point to point on the course and cheer on the team. Check with returning runners or parents to get an idea of the best place to watch your child’s race from. A quick note of caution: it is against the rules to run alongside a runner and pace them. You can also not give them any water while their running the race. These will get your child disqualified.
End of Race — As a runner passes the finish line they go into a chute where they are line up according to the way they finished. The runner reports their race number or turns in their race tag to the people that are collecting it. It is the runners responsibility to make sure the tag is collected. After a race we have the runner hang out at finish to cheer on their teammates who are still finishing. The coaches will have a quick meeting with runners. When a race is completed the runners will warm down as a group and then go on to cheer their other teammates as they race.
Important Notes – It is common after a race is over to see runners weak in the knees, stumbling in a fainting like manner, overall weakness, glossy eyes, and nausea. These symptoms generally pass quickly. After a race is over it is a good thing for them to drink water or gatorade. This replaces the lost fluids and the electrolytes that typically are lost during a race of this magnitude. It is not recommended to give them juice or soda for at least 15 minutes afterward completing a race because it sometimes can cause them nausea.
Lastly, during away school meets the coach is responsible for your child. So after the meet, please do not take your child without having talked with the coach and signing them out. MSHSL does not allow your child to ride home with anyone else unless you are present to check them out. At this point they become your responsibility again. Coaches will not allow a runner to ride home with someone else other than immediate family unless you are physically present to give permission. A note in this situation will not suffice. If other circumstances arise then arrangements need to be approved through our activities department 346-1610.
During invitational’s there are many races that will occur during the course of the meet. Most Saturday meets last about half a day to mid afternoon. It is important to find out what time your child is racing so you won’t miss the start of the race.
Once the coach has checked in the team a race number, number bid, and/or race chip for racing shoe will be distributed to each assigned runner. Usually before the races begin the team is allowed to walk the course to familiarize themselves with it. About an 45 minutes before the assigned race the participating team will warm up by jogging around the grounds and stretching. At the starting line the coach may give some last minute instructions. As soon as the team starts warming up it is important that parents and family go to cheer allowing the runner and coach to prepare for the race.
The Race – Unlike other sports, spectators do not stay in one place to watch the race. They usually move from point to point on the course and cheer on the team. Check with returning runners or parents to get an idea of the best place to watch your child’s race from. A quick note of caution: it is against the rules to run alongside a runner and pace them. You can also not give them any water while their running the race. These will get your child disqualified.
End of Race — As a runner passes the finish line they go into a chute where they are line up according to the way they finished. The runner reports their race number or turns in their race tag to the people that are collecting it. It is the runners responsibility to make sure the tag is collected. After a race we have the runner hang out at finish to cheer on their teammates who are still finishing. The coaches will have a quick meeting with runners. When a race is completed the runners will warm down as a group and then go on to cheer their other teammates as they race.
Important Notes – It is common after a race is over to see runners weak in the knees, stumbling in a fainting like manner, overall weakness, glossy eyes, and nausea. These symptoms generally pass quickly. After a race is over it is a good thing for them to drink water or gatorade. This replaces the lost fluids and the electrolytes that typically are lost during a race of this magnitude. It is not recommended to give them juice or soda for at least 15 minutes afterward completing a race because it sometimes can cause them nausea.
Lastly, during away school meets the coach is responsible for your child. So after the meet, please do not take your child without having talked with the coach and signing them out. MSHSL does not allow your child to ride home with anyone else unless you are present to check them out. At this point they become your responsibility again. Coaches will not allow a runner to ride home with someone else other than immediate family unless you are physically present to give permission. A note in this situation will not suffice. If other circumstances arise then arrangements need to be approved through our activities department 346-1610.