Meet - Hokum Karem XC Relay - Saturday, September 7, 2019
A USATF GA Association Youth Developmental Meet
Page last updated 9/4/2019 11:59 pm
See also
View Alpha Crush Meet Entries from Athletic.net [Download] [View]
Note: Coach Matthew must manually create entries in Athletic.net from the entries selected by Alpha Crush parents & athletes on this web site. This is done periodically.
Meet Entry
Entry for Alpha Crush club members is done here; team administrators will do the rest.
Meet entry deadline for Alpha Crush club members, Wednesday, September 4, 8:00 pm
Entries as of 9/4/2019 11:59 pm
Where
Marietta High School, 1171 Whitlock Ave NW, Marietta, GA 30064
Facility Map
See Marietta High School facility map
Due to construction, field 1 parking and front gate are closed
Park in "Field 2 Parking"
Enter through the "Back Gate"
No cars allowed through gate
Event held on and around "Field 2"
Schedule
Boys, girls and co-ed teams in age divisions will run together but will be scored separately for awards. As we say in meet day preparations, we want athletes to arrive 30-60 minutes before their scheduled starting time. This gives them time to warm up and gives coaches an opportunity to see who is there so 2-person relay teams can be formed.
4:00 pm - packet pickup at timing tent or information tent; Coach Matthew will pickup packet
Families, please arrive at least 45 minutes before your race. Coaches need time to put the 2-person teams together. If you arrive late, that does not help us! And, athletes need time to warm up. Look for Alpha Crush flag on field...that is where our tent will be.
4:15 pm - self-guided course walk-through; optional, as it is a 1k loop and easy to follow
5:00 pm - 8 & under - 4K
5:30 pm - 9-10 - 6K
6:15 pm - 11-12 - 6K
7:00 pm - 13-14, 15-18 - 6K
Award Medals
Results (and awards) will be available approximately 30 minutes after the completion of each race. The timing crew tabulates the results from each previous race as the next race is underway. Unforeseen circumstances (lost bib # numbers, athletes running in wrong race) may affect the amount of time needed to prepare these results.
8 & under, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Top 10 boys teams and girls teams get award medals (a medal for each team member)
Top 3 co-ed teams get award medals
15-18
Top 3 boys teams and girls teams get award medals (a medal for each team member)
Top 3 co-ed teams get award medals
A few more details
A Hokum Karem is a "relay" style cross country race. There will be a 1 km loop and an exchange zone that the athletes will enter from the back and leave from the front. The exchange is a simple "high-5 / tag your teammate" and the next runner runs their loop.
2-person teams - boy, girl and co-ed
Each athlete alternates laps with their teammate
8 & under: each athlete runs two 1K loops; 4K total
9+: each athlete runs three 1K loops, 6K total
Course map [Download] [View]
Coaches will make up the 2-person teams the day of the race; athletes, *be flexible* as you may not get to run with who you want to run with on a team, especially if 15 athletes all want to run with the same person; remember, these are 2-person teams
We can mix and match genders and, probably, ages (maybe, even make teams with other clubs or unattached athletes as needed)
Don't be concerned if we have an odd number of runners; we'll find someone you can run with
They may run various age divisions and genders in one race, with results being collated separately
Each team member will have a bib number; only one team member will cross the finish line, the team member who runs the last leg
Team members can decide among themselves the order in which they run
Coaches will "declare" their co-ed teams prior to race so they can be scored separately
“Hokum karems” are a popular way to kick off the season in Indiana.
Cross Country Opener Pairs Boys With Girls
“Hokum karems” are a popular way to kick off the season in Indiana.
http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-racing/cross-country-opener-pairs-boys-with-girls
Girls chased boys and boys chased girls at a high school cross country season opener in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on August 18.
At the meet called a “hokum karem,” 13 schools divided their teams into boy-girl pairs who lined up to run what resembled a relay more than a traditional cross country race through Shoaff Park.
“It’s an awesome meet for the boys and girls to work together and score together because they’re separate for the rest of the season,” said Derek Leininger, the director of the meet. “It’s a great team bonding opportunity.”
The course covered a total of five miles, which was divided into two one-mile loops—a front loop and a back loop. The boys ran legs one, three, and five, while the girls ran legs two and four. (For each two-person team, the boy then the girl ran the first loop, touching hands in between. They repeated the process for the back loop. For the fifth and final leg, the boy finished off the race by running the front loop in reverse.)
Wambash College started the tradition more than 50 years ago, and the meet in Fort Wayne—which is unique because of its co-ed format—has been held since the early 1980s.
“It’s a glorified workout of mile repeats,” Leininger said, “but you’re doing it in a competitive environment. The boy-girl thing makes for a cool dynamic, too.”
Both genders will run a 5K for the remainder of the season.
Carroll High School, headed by coach Phil Yoder, participated in the event for the first time this year. They swept the meet with pairs taking the first five spots. The duo of senior Cam Clements and sophomore Maggie Falater topped the field with a total time of 27:16.
“I went out hard for the first mile,” Clements said. “After that, we had a substantial lead. It felt like a workout, but it was easier than a 5K because we had that rest in between the three miles.”
Yoder said he participated in a similarly formatted meet while he was in high school and thought the meet would make for a good “ice breaker” to the season for his team.
“For newer runners and the freshmen, it’s a good way for them to ease into the season a bit,” said Yoder, who added that its a great confidence builder.
Yoder said he paired his athletes in a way that would foster the most competition. For instance, he intentionally avoided partnering the top boy with the fastest girl.
Falater, who said she tried to keep jogging and stretch between each mile, said she enjoyed competing alongside the boys.
“It was fun to run with the guys because we’ve never really done that before,” Falater said.
“The meet was definitely more laid back than a regular one because the mentality was different with the rest in between,” Clements added.
Yoder said he intends to bring his team back next year.
“It was a unique opportunity to work with each other during the race and win it as a team,” Yoder said. “It’s a fun atmosphere, and the parents enjoyed it as well.”