OFSAA debates equaling distance for 2016 male and female races

Those behind the organization of Ontario’s highly competitive high school cross-country championships talked about implementing equal race distances for boys and girls in 2017.

This past fall, there was a hot debate going on in high school and university cross-country. The issue: whether or not the distance run by male and female athletes should be equal.

Just this past fall, the argument particularly took off among Ontario high school and university coaches who send athletes to OFSAA and the CIS championships.

As it is right now, female cross-country runners in Canada race a lesser distance than their male counterparts. High school senior girls race 5K while the boys run 7K. In university, the distances are 6K and 10K.

But in a recent meeting among OFSAA officials, the group discussed the matter and was supportive of male and female runners racing the same distance. (Note: this information has come to the editors at Canadian Running from a trusted source who will remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue.)

In the meeting, ideal race distances were discussed. Proposals will be sent out to representatives around Ontario. Those at the meeting decided on a “possible implementation” of equal race distances for 2017.

In the fall, several coaches argued for and against equaling distance. One popular argument against the motion to change the distance for university athletes was that moving to training for 10K races after the 5K high school distance would be too big of a jump for athletes. It was a question of whether or not that change in training plans would be an overload for athletes to adjust to in a two-month season.

Those for it stated that men and women run the same distances at road races be it the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, etc. and that females are capable of taking on extra mileage.

In fall, the IAAF evened the distances for senior male and female race. The junior level however will still have different lengths for competition.

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