For decades, runners from the greater Ithaca area have come together to compete in the Pete Glavin XC Series, a set of five cross-country races held in Ithaca, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo—and parts in between. Teams compete in U19 (ages 19 and under) Open (20–40), Masters (40–49), Vets (50–59), Super Vets (60 and over), and Ultra Vets (70+) categories.
Men and women run the same distances: 5K for the first race, 6K for the next three races, and 8K for the final race. You can run in all the races, some of the races, or just one. Races take place in the Ithaca/Syracuse/Rochester/Buffalo area, and our home meet this year is at TC3 in Dryden. We typically carpool to races, and carpooling can be a great way to get to know your fellow teammates!
If you miss running cross-country from high school, or you want to experience competing on a team where everyone counts, join us!
WHEN & WHERE
- Sunday, September 11, 2022: 5K at Long Branch Park in Liverpool (near Syracuse)
- Sunday, September 25, 2022: 6K at Everest Park in Auburn (north of Ithaca)
- Sunday, October 9, 2022: 6K at Akron Falls County Park, in Akron Falls (this side of Buffalo)
- Sunday, October 30, 2022: 6K at TC3 in Dryden (our home race—don’t miss this one!)
- Sunday, November 6, 2022: 8K at Center Park, Fairport (this side of Rochester)
Races generally start at 11 AM, which provides enough time for travel and warmup.
Carpools for the races leave from the southwest corner of Cornell’s B-Lot by the Vet School. We can usually coordinate pickups and mini-carpools for people who live en route to a race or far from Cornell.
Each individual race costs $25, or you can register for the entire five-race series for $85.
JOIN
To join the team for 2022, follow these steps:
- Register for at least one race: During the sign-up process, when you are asked to select your team, pick FLRC (women or U19 co-ed) or High Noon (men). You will be also asked to choose a team. Pick a team that matches your age group, pick the A team if possible, but don’t worry if only B or C are available; Adam and Tonya will put you on the right team for the race when the time gets closer. The signup will offer you a discount if you have a USATF number; if you don’t know what this is, then you don’t have one.
- Join the FLRC Forum: Once you know your forum “handle,” tell Adam (@adamengst on the forum, or ace@tidbits.com in email) or Tonya (@tonya on the forum or tonya@tidbits.com in email) that you want to be added to the PGXC group. This is how you’ll get coordinating information about each race and the team parties. If you are already in the group, we’d still enjoy a note so we know what’s up in your life and your running plans for this fall.
- Fill in the roster sheet: Fill in your row on the roster spreadsheet (FLRC or High Noon), indicating which races you plan to run. This step is essential for team success, since Adam and Tonya have to submit accurate team rosters to the PGXC organizers for each race.
MORE INFO
Courses are generally grassy fields with rolling hills. Cross-country is faster and easier than trail running, and the distances are quite short, from 5K to 8K. Starting in 2019, men and women run the same distances! But it’s also tougher than road races, and the footing can be wet, muddy, and slippery—some runners like to wear spikes.
Depending on the age category, teams can be either 8 runners with 5 scoring, or 5 runners with 3 scoring. Non-scoring runners displace other teams’ runners and are thus still key. If we have enough runners in a category, we’ll field multiple teams.
Scoring is simple. Every runner (separated for men and women) earns points for their place—1 point for first place, 2 points for second place, and so on. The places of all of a team’s scoring runners are added up, and the team with the lowest score wins. There are individual and team awards for each race and for the series overall.
You can’t run on a team for people who are a category older than you (i.e. a 30-year-old Open runner can’t run with the Masters team), but you can “run down” on a team with people who are younger (a 55-year-old Vet can run with the Masters team). We set up the teams for each race based on who is coming.
Although there are five races, you do not have to run all the races. It’s entirely acceptable to miss a race if you have a conflict for that day. However, to be eligible for individual series awards, you must run at least two races, including the championship race (and realistically, you need four races to be competitive). To be eligible to score for a team in the championship race, you must run at least one race earlier in the series.
For even more info about these races and cross country in general, consult Tonya’s FLRC PGXC FAQ.