When: Saturday, October 26
Where: Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA (1.5 - 2 hour drive, depending on traffic)
Race Schedule: Weirdly, the entry/roster list on the Mt. SAC website is incorrect. (Hopefully it is updated soon.) Please go by our entry list, which is correct. It's the same one we sent in the most recent Sunday Scoop. In addition, here is a detailed race schedule if you would like more information than what is below.
7:43 a.m. Freshman Boys
7:50 a.m. Freshman Girls
8:04 a.m. Sophomore Boys
8:24 a.m. Sophomore Girls
8:39 a.m. JV Boys
9:42 a.m. Sweepstakes Boys
10:02 a.m. Sweepstakes Girls
Team confirmations, a program, and more are published on the Mt. SAC website. They are the red buttons towards the top of the page.
Arrival Times: Since we are assigned to some of the earliest races in the day when we are less likely to be impacted by traffic and/or parking issues, Coach Ott slightly modified arrival times. See below:
Freshman/Sophomore/JV: Arrive at the canopy 1-1.5 hours before your race.
Sweepstakes : Arrive at the canopy 1.5 hours before your race.
Entrance: Athletes must have their bibs in order to enter the stadium. The bibs are their tickets. One of our coaches will meet athletes near the stadium ticket booth (#2 in a blue circle on the course map). Call Coach Ott when you arrive at the gate/ticket booth: (310) 709-8088. If anything changes regarding bib pick-up, coaches will send a message directly to athletes via GroupMe.
Where to Find Us: Our yellow team canopy will be in the grassy area (behind the scoreboard) labeled with a yellow star and "3" in a blue circle on the course map. (There are several 3's, so be sure to look for the yellow star.) If for some reason they run out of space for team camps in the grassy area, the other spot to check is the lower level of the Champions Parking Structure.
Hotel Info: A few of you with the earliest race times have asked if families typically book a hotel for Friday night rather than driving up super early on Saturday morning. In previous years, some families have definitely chosen to stay at hotels. A few hotels close by where families/coaches have stayed in the past, and that still seem to have King rooms available (some with sofa beds), are the La Quinta Inn, Hilton Garden Inn, and DoubleTree by Hilton Pomona. If you need a Double Queen, the options are a little further away: Ayers Suites Diamond Bar or Best Western Diamond Bar. Of course, there are always more hotels to search, but those are the first we came across.
Course Details: Here is the new course map. This 3-mile course is considered one of the nation's most challenging. But this year, they have updated the course path to finish in the stadium to provide for a better fan experience. One significant change is that Poop Out Hill will no longer be part of the course path.
What to Bring: Uniform and team warm-up shirt, water bottle, running shoes, racing flats, sunscreen and a snack. Boys may wear compression shorts under their uniform but they must be all black; if there is a logo, it must be white and smaller than a credit card.
Clerk-of-the-Course: All athletes MUST report to the Clerk-of-the-Course at least 20 minutes prior to the scheduled start of their race. The Clerk is located along the west fence inside the warm-up track area (#6 in a blue circle on the course map).
Parking: Due to the size of this event, please plan your departure/arrival time accordingly. The organizers recommend adding additional travel time in order to park, walk and enter the main entrance.
All Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational Parking will be in the Gateway Parking Structure (off Bonita Drive) or Lot F (North of Temple Ave) or Lot H (if Lot F is filled).
There is NO PARKING ALLOWED in the Champions Parking Structure, with the exception of Handicapped Parking on the upper level.
Cost is $10 for all vehicles. You can pay when entering the parking lot.
Timing & Results: The meet will be timed using tags on the backs of bibs. Live results will be available on FinishedResults.
Streaming: If you have a RunnerSpace+ account, the Mt. SAC Invitational will have a live webcast of the race . If you don't have a +Plus account, it's possible to sign up for one month at $12.99 and then cancel so you don't continue to get charged monthly. Just a thought!
Spectators: All spectators must enter through the stadium front gate (#2 in a blue circle on the course map) to gain access to the course areas (starting line, course, finish line). Ticket costs are below. These tickets are separate from the $10 parking fee.
Adults (13 years or older) – $12
Seniors (65 years or older) – $6
Students (with Student ID) – $6
Children (12 years or younger) – $6
You can save time by purchasing tickets online. One caveat... please be VERY CAREFUL when choosing "Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational" from the ticket list. There are separate listings for each date. Be sure to select SATURDAY! Here's the ticket link
Because this is a huge facility, the course map is your best friend when it comes to finding restrooms, the water fill up station and more. (P.S. The toilet paper gremlin might be an issue at this event. They even mention it on their website.)
Best spectator viewing will be at the entrance to the Valley Loop and in the stadium for the finish.
We hope to see everyone at the race, cameras ready!!
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