- By Joy Chan

Link to full photo album

The morning of the USATF Pacific Northwest Open and Masters XC Championships dawned cool and crisp, a respite from the steady rains earlier in the week. Lincoln Park in West Seattle is a favorite among local XC venues, especially in the fall with the park ablaze in yellows and orange and the faint scent of the Salish Sea drifting lazily up from the beach below.  

The XC Championship consisted of three races: Open and Masters Women’s 6K at 9:30 AM, Masters Men’s 8K at 10:15 AM, and Open Men’s 10K at 11:15 AM. Excitement grew as LSRC team members gradually arrived for the morning’s races. We quickly set up camp near the finish chute – many thanks to Mike Williamson and Paula Murray for loaning the use of a second tent to shelter runners and provide space for team gear. Paula and Joy Chan – LSRC’s only two women at the meet – did the first recon of the 2K loop course. To their surprise, the expected puddles and mud after days of rain were largely non-existent, probably due to the abundant tree cover. The ground was firm, footing was secure, and the only hill was short and small. It was going to be a fast day, whether you ran three, four, or five loops. 

This year we had a combined total of 15 runners (two women and 13 men) across all LSRC teams. Despite not having enough women to form a scoring Open or Masters team (we will improve next year!), Paula and Joy both put in excellent efforts and ran XC 6K season bests. The Masters and Open Men’s teams saw strong performances from all runners, with both teams placing third in their respective divisions despite stiff competition; this earned the Open Men’s team $100 in a cash prize. The full team and individual results are posted below. Congratulations to everyone who raced! 

Although the races seemed – on paper, at least – to be spread out across a long morning, between the warmups, cheering for each other on course, and cooldowns to visit Bruun Idun, time flew as quickly as our feet. We had a ton of fun supporting each other on a gorgeous autumn day, and could not have asked for a better end to LSRC’s 2023 XC season. Thank you to everyone who took part in the meets and supported logistics, from organizing carpools, showing up early or staying late to help with setup and takedown, or providing goodies to share. Until next season! 

Women’s Open and Masters 6K Team Results 

1. Club Northwest (17) 

2. Unattached (50) 

3. Seattle Running Club (68) 

Men’s Masters 8K Team Results 

1. Club Northwest (17) 

2. Seattle Running Club (46) 

3. Lake Sammamish Run Club (79) 

Men’s Open 10K Team Results 

1. Club Northwest (15) 

2. Bellingham Distance Project (57) 

3. Lake Sammamish Run Club (67)