Senior Design Team sdmay19-37 • Are Cross Country Courses Getting Less Hilly?
The sport of cross-country (XC) has built its reputation on the
rough terrain that has challenged its runners over its 100+ year
history.
Historically speaking, this "rough terrain" was defined by a heavy
inclusion of hills in addition to other course elements like
varied
footings, hurdles, and water crossings. However, there are
prominent figures in the cross-country community, notably former
Iowa State
XC coach Bill Bergan, that have expressed concern about the
degradation of the sport's spirit via the loss of hills. Iowa
State itself
has recently fallen victim to this trend, as it hosted the 2018
Big XII XC Conference Championships on a significantly easier
route of its
nationally-renowned cross-country course as seen below.