Kealakehe will play host to their first cross country meet in quite some time this weekend. The last time it happened — well — no one can quite remember.
By talking to other coaches, Brad Lachance, now in his third year at the helm of the Kealakehe cross country program, has been able to narrow the time frame down to about eight to 10 years ago.
“It is funny,” Lachance said. “No one seems to remember exactly when it was.”
The Waveriders were hoping to erase that fuzzy past earlier this year. The school was originally scheduled to host a meet on Sept. 3 but it was scrapped when Hurricane Madeline and Lester threatened the Big Island.
After the cancellation the present was looking a little uncertain as well, but then the Waveriders received a gift from a school on the east side of the island.
“The other schools were disappointed that they would not be able to come over,” Lachance said. “But Keaau had two dates and they were good enough to give us one.”
The logistics of hosting a cross country meet can be quite difficult. Lachance says that first the school must have the available land to host a 5 kilometer race. The school must also have the available parking, a maintenance crew to help build a course and keep runners safe, parents that can help with timing and marshaling, and an adequate training crew to help with possible injuries.
“It has been tricky finding ways to make a course work around the campus,” Lachance said. “We have been working on a track since last year and the kids have been running it in practice.”
The course at Kealakehe, now complete, will be comprised of approximately 50 percent trail and 50 percent pavement. It will be two laps, starting in the north end zone of the football field. Runners will take off south around the baseball field and to the top of the school, where they will then zig-zag back down to the track. After a second lap the race will finish at the north end of the track.
“It will be spectator friendly,” Lachance said.
While hosting a meet is a good first step, it is not Lachance’s end game.
“Ideally, I would like to see the race expand,” he said. “Kamehameha holds a middle school race before the high school race. I would like to get younger kids involved and create some kind of development pipeline. Anything we can do to introduce the sport to a younger group is a good thing.”
The Kealakehe meet will take place Saturday at 10 a.m.
Waiakea is the favorite to win the meet after sweeping at Kamehameha on Saturday. But the host team, especially on a new course that only they have run, can never be counted out.
“It is nice to have a home advantage,” Lachance said. “Most meets are held on the east side, so it is good for the kids to not have to travel for a change. It is also important that the other schools get an opportunity to come to this side.”