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Kane County Meet at new Settler's Hill XC Course cancelled for 2020Published by
Kane County Meet at new Settler’s Hill XC Course cancelled for 2020
By Michael Newman
It was announced on Monday, July 13 that the inaugural Kane County Meet at the new Northwestern Medicine XC Course at Settler’s Hill scheduled for August 29, 2020 would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.
“These are trying times, and I am disappointed to announce that we will have to delay the inaugural Northwestern Medicine Kane County Meet until August 28, 2021” said Al Edgecombe, one of the leaders of the new course at Settler’s Hill in Geneva as well as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Chicago Area Track & Field Organizing Committee.
“We've been working hard to create a great kickoff event on the new Course, but after discussions with many interested and informed parties, we have concluded that we cannot meet the Phase 4 guidelines for social distancing at this time. We looked at several options for spacing 20 teams and over 1,000 athletes, but with a new facility, we have no experience managing crowds on the site. This took an already difficult problem and made it impossible. Our top priority must be the health and safety of the athletes and spectators.”
This is the second meet in Illinois that has been cancelled due to the pandemic in the past month. This meet being cancelled was foreseeable since this would have been the inaugural race on the new course in Geneva.
It does not mean that meets should be cancelled like one domino falling after another. There has to be the will to fight for these student/athletes so that they can race safely instead of the knee-jerk reaction of calling off a meet.
It is not saying that we cannot do this. It is a matter of findings ways to do it.
Twitter: @crossmedicine NW Medicine XC Course Preview Article
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