Marion County - Indianapolis is going the extra distance to attract
another major sports event. The venue is semi-hidden on the east banks
of the White River just north of downtown. At first glance, it looks
like a field over run with wildlife, but it's actually becoming a field
to run over.
The 20-acre site is the start of a cross country
course that Greg Harger has helped develop. Harger coaches elite
runners as part of the Indiana Invaders, a track and field team. He sees the course as a training ground and more.
"The
course layout and the surface, it has the potential to be the best
course in the country in three or four years," Harger said. His goal is
to attract national cross country championships.
The state and
city own the property. Indy Parks Director Stuart Lowry calls it ideal
for "an up and coming sport. We're going to add a new level of
excitement to the sport that has never existed before."
Lowry said he's working with a private company to provide a wireless timing system for the course.
"There aren't any races now where you know the [runners'] times until the end of the race," he said.
Lowry calls the course great for all levels of runners and great for spectators, too.
"On
a lot of courses if you're watching runners, you have to run from point
to point, but here because of the levee you can stand on it and oversee
85-95 percent of the race," he said.
In the long run, Lowry said
he envisions much more along the corridor than a track and a field.
It's already a conservation area with plans for more trails running
north.
"I would love to see this embraced as a corridor along
the river for whatever uses - students wanting to take a walk, for
birders and naturalists to history panels," he said.
Lowry said
so far the project has involved little if any city money. He said
Harger and other volunteers designed the course and are now maintaining
it.
The course is already used for high school track and field events. Lowry sees it hosting as many as 20 events a year.
Techno, Fair question... as with all media reports details are often out of context or edited to the point of error... the technology planned for this venue will not be new BUT the application of technology and many other design elements will be new on several levels. The venue has several more years of development ahead before all plans are realized. FYI, in cases of local media coverage all acitivites and developments with this venue from the perspective of our community partners will be "new". Stayed tuned in the months ahead for "new technology" clues.
