Meet Information for Parents

What time does the meet start?

• All meet start times are listed on the team calendar.  Start times depend upon when all teams have arrived at the course.  We take the team by bus to the meet.

What time does a meet end?

• Meet times depend upon the number of participants.  Typically each race lasts less than 20 minutes.  There are two races at each meet: a boys' race and a girls' race.

What should I expect when I go to a meet?

• All teams arrive on their team bus and wait in their "camp" area until it is time for their race.  

• There is typically a walk through of the course so all runners know where to run.  Some courses/meets offer a "talk through" to explain the course depending on the size of their course and weather conditions. 

• The order of races depends on gender. Check the team calendar to see the order of races.

• All runners will participate in every meet except the Franklin Invite.  There are top seven races for our top seven runners at each grade level at the Franklin Invite and the Conference Meet.  

Where is the best place to watch my son/daughter run?

• This depends upon the course, but some courses have multiple loops where you can see your son or daughter at the same spot throughout the race.  Encouragement is always welcome anywhere along the course!  Be aware of your surroundings and do not stand or interfere with a race in progress.  If you have younger children with you, please remind them to watch out for runners and avoid playing catch/soccer near the course.

What do I do once the race is over?

• Greet your son or daughter with a smile and their bottle of water after they have walked away from the finish chute!  All parents must sign out your son or daughter prior to taking them home when we are at away meets.  The sign out sheet is located on the Herrick table at our camp area.  There is no sign out at home meets.  If you see a coach at the finish line, please limit conversations with them until they are done scoring the race.  Your child will get their race time once the results are posted on the website.

What if I cannot attend the race?  Will there be a bus for my child?

• There is a bus that takes all runners back to Herrick, but you must arrange a way for your child to be picked up from Herrick.  Coaches wait until all runners have been picked up before leaving Herrick for the night.

• Your son or daughter can also get a ride home from the meet from another parent if they give the coaches a signed note with your permission.  No phone calls or texts will be accepted; we need a written note.

What if my son or daughter has a conflict on the day of the meet and can attend or needs to leave early?

• Please make sure to look at the calendar before scheduling doctor/dentist/orthodontist appointments.  In the event that there is a conflict with the day of a meet, please have your son or daughter give a note to the coaches with the information related to the conflict at least one day prior to the meet.  We stress the importance of communicating to the coaches with all of our runners, so please have them talk to us directly.

Can I bring my pet to the meet?

• We encourage you to leave your dog or any other animal at home so it is not a distraction on the course.