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New Cross Country Course in Geneva almost ready for its grand opening

Published by
ILXCTF - Mike Newman   Jun 23rd 2020, 11:00pm
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Attached Documents
NMCC Course Master Drawing Posted 06/23/2020 (354 downloads)

 

New Cross Country Course in Geneva almost ready for its grand opening

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

There has been discussion over the last couple of decades of developing a new championship cross country course in Illinois mainly situated in the Chicago area. The discussion is over in regard to this. A new venue could open at the end of August. The Northwestern Medicine Course is located on the old Settler’s Hill Landfill just west of Kirk Road in Geneva.

The area was discontinued as a landfill in 2006. In 2011, discussions began between The Chicago Area Track and Field Organizing Committee (CATFOC) and Kane County / the Kane County Forest Preserve District on how this former landfill could be used.

Six years passed where economic and engineering feasibility studies were conducted as well as engineering design work (course design) were completed by Weaver Consultants. CATFOC and the Kane County Forest Preserve signed a licensing agreement in November of 2017.

A ground-breaking ceremony happened in April 2018. Then the work began.

The course construction required bringing approximately 200,000 cubic yards of clean fill to the site to level off the 35 acres of running surface.  Kane County began to accumulate this fill material in the Fall of 2017.  Construction of the course began in April 2018, and the course was built in five phases as the fill material arrived on site.  The course construction was completed in September 2019 according to Alan Edgecombe who is one of the course organizers along with Skip Stolley, the head of CATFOC.

The main entrance to the 700 acre running complex is located by the Northwestern Medicine Ball Park just off Kirk Road. Nearly 2500 parking spaces are available for the course and are a part of the minor league baseball stadium, an indoor soccer facility, and an ice arena. The Settler’s Hill Golf Course is located below the south end of the course.

The facility will also have professional food vendors on site during events. It will also incorporate the latest in technology to make the spectator experience at cross country meets even more special.

 

Preview of the Course (Emphasis on High School 3-Mile Course)

Elevation Maps and course maps of each of the distances are attached.

Quick Video tour of the course

 

The starting line for all the course distances is south of the base of the hill located at the north end of the Northwestern Medicine Course Complex. The finish area is within close vicinity of where the runners will start.

The starting line will need to be moved up 10 to 15 meters due to an obstruction of a gas vent near the right side of the starting area. The starting line will be about 80-meters wide.

The first 500-meters of the course is flat before curving slightly to the right and starting a downward incline to the first 800-meters. Most of the course has inclines and declines from 1 to 3 percent and is 10-meters wide throughout. Remember, the top of Settler’s Hill is 880 feet above sea level. Most of the course is between 800 and 830 feet above sea level.

The half mile mark is at the corner of the “B Loop” of the course. I can see the first half of a race being extremely fast considering you will be on flat grounds the first 400 and then a decline for the next 400. The second half of the first mile has slight inclines heading north. To the right of the main course, you will see the finish line which is about 10-meters above the main course (we will get to that). By the time you get to the first mile, you will make a right turn and head to what could be the most difficult part of this course.

The second-mile on this course could be called risk and reward. The first 400-meters of the second mile rolls up and down until you make a right curve into the “Test Hill”. It is enough to challenge you when you normally want to take a siesta in the middle of a race getting ready for the final mile. The incline on this hill is 13% rising up 30 feet. The distance of this hill is only 68-meters, but that incline could take your legs out for the rest of the race.

The reward waits for the runner at the completion of “Test Hill”. If you pass the test, you get the reward of going down a steady decline for close to 1200-meters. This is when moves will be made in the race. The good thing about this hill is you only have to travel up it once in a three-mile race.

The decline down from this hill drops from 850 feet at Test Hill down to 800 to 805 feet by the time you get to the second mile. That mark will be near where you enter the loop and the beginning of the race.

The last mile is almost a repeat of the first mile of the course. You will make a sharp 90 degree turn and reverse direction towards the finish line. The final straightaway is around 250-meters to the finish line. It will be fenced off on either side so there will be plenty of room to make dramatic passes to the finish.

 

Overview

I wish I were younger where I could race just one last time on this course. I was able to walk it on June 19 when the temperature climbed close to 90 degrees. I received a comment since this was a new course, there would be no tree cover. Then again, there is no tree cover at the Lavern Gibson Course in Indiana.

There are many things that still need to be done. The course needs some rain to help solidify portions of the running areas. We walked the course and it had not yet been mowed. It will be interesting to see how the course looks once it is cut to race shape. I could see the surface to similar in what we find at Lavern Gibson.

I can envision that the Northwestern Medicine Course at Settler’s Hill should be one of the premiere cross country courses in Illinois as well as the Midwest. The top of Settler’s Hill gives you a great view of the entire course with the exception of the south end of the loop near the two-mile mark. On a clear day, you could see the Chicago Skyline to the east.

Settler’s Hill is the second highest point in Kane County. This course will be one of the higher elevated courses in the state.

There are so many distance variations for this complex ranging from two-kilometers all the way up to ten-kilometers. The main distance that will be used is the three-mile high school course. It can be changed to five-kilometers by simply adding the Loop C portion of the course twice (see map) between the half and the mile portion of the course.

There are two races scheduled to be held at this venue. The first being the renewal of the Kane County Meet on August 29. We will get an idea at that meet on how this course works.

I like the layout. The potential in the right conditions of fast times being produced on this circuit will be interesting to watch. It is not a pancake. At the same time, it is not ultra-hilly. There is the right combination of inclines and declines that makes a race at Settler’s Hill a fair competition.

The course is not open yet. When it is, it will a must see place to watch, train, or run a race on it.

Welcome to Illinois Cross Country Northwestern Medicine Course at Settler’s Hill!

 

If you have any further questions about Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course at Settler’s Hill, please feel free to contact Alan Edgecombe via e-mail at [email protected]

 

About the Chicago Area Track and Field Organizing Committee (CATFOC)

 

CATFOC is a volunteer-based coalition of local high school and collegiate coaches, running enthusiasts, and community leaders.  The organization’s mission is to promote track & field, cross country, and road racing in the metropolitan Chicago area.  CATFOC will manage the scheduling, marketing, and conduct of events at the Northwestern Medicine Cross Country Course.  CATFOC is an incorporated not-for-profit in Illinois, with 501(c)(3) status.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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