OFSAA cross country
The OFSAA cross country championships are the Ontario high school cross country championships, held annually in varying locations around Ontario, usually on the first Saturday of November. Approximately 1600 runners compete in six races, making it the largest OFSAA meet of any sport.
Participation
Athletes may qualify to compete in the championships as a team or individually. Each of the nineteen Regional Associations under the OFSAA umbrella hosts its own qualifying event to select participants for the provincial championships. The top two teams and top five (as of 2015) individuals (excluding runners already qualifying as members of a team) in each age and gender classification from eighteen of the Regional Associations qualify for OFSAA.[1] The TDSSAA is permitted to send four teams and ten individuals to compete at OFSAA in each classification.[1] Each qualifying team may enter five runners into the competition. This qualification structure results in a maximum of 270 competitors in each event of the championships.
Event classification
The OFSAA championships consist of six separate races, one for males and one for females in each of three age categories:[1]
- Midget: individuals who were less than 14 years of age on the first day of January of the year in which the competition is held and who are enrolled in the ninth grade
- Junior: individuals who were less than 15 years of age on the first day of January of the year in which the competition is held
- Senior: individuals who were less than 19 years of age on the first day of January of the year in which the competition is held and whose first date of entry into the ninth grade occurred within five years of the date of the competition
Date and schedule
All events of the championship are held on the first Saturday of November unless extraordinary circumstances dictate a change.[1] The order of events is normally:
- midget girls' race
- para race co-ed
- midget boys' race
- junior girls' race
- junior boys' race
- senior girls' race
- senior boys' race
- awards ceremony
The course is open the day before competition for athletes and coaches to walk or run the course. Once races have commenced, the course is closed to all persons excluding those competing in the specific race underway. Any persons infringing upon this rule may cause their school's entire team to be disqualified from competition.
Course location and specifications
The championships are moved around the province on a regional rotation such that they take place in central Ontario (outside of metropolitan Toronto) one year, followed by one year in Toronto, one in eastern Ontario, one in northern Ontario, one in southern Ontario and one in western Ontario.[1] The host Association and exact location for each championship are determined no later than at the OFSAA Annual Meeting held in April of the school year prior to the event.[1]
As cross country is an off-road event, the competition is normally held on a golf course or in a conservation area or other park. Course terrain is uneven and may include steep hills. Ground cover is commonly short grass or dirt but courses may also include sections of sand, gravel and other surfaces.
OFSAA regulations stipulate the following course lengths for each event (±400m):[1]
- midget girls - 3000m
- para race co-ed - 2.8 km
- midget boys - 5000m
- junior girls - 4000m
- junior boys - 6000m
- senior girls - 5000m
- senior boys - 7000m
The course starting line must be 65–75 metres in width and include a separate starting box for competitors from each regional Association (and two boxes for TDSSAA competitors). Each starting box must measure three metres wide and four metres deep.[1]
Scoring and awards
Team scores are determined by summing the finishing places of the top four runners on each team, with lower numeric scores indicating a higher placement for the team. Ties are decided in favour of the team whose fourth runner finished first.[1]
Medals are awarded to the top three teams and top three individuals in each event. Ribbons are awarded to individuals and teams who finish fourth through eighth. A banner is awarded to the school represented by the first place team in each event.[1]
As of 2014, medals are awarded to the top three teams and individuals in each event, with ribbons awarded for all other individuals and teams in the top 10.