After reading the USA Cycling press release about the so-called US Marathon World's team, I had to laugh. Not that there was anything funny about it, but instead that some of the named riders reported to be "in Oisans, France [that] weekend" were in fact across the dinner table from me, in Colorado.
Interesting and inaccurate.
But that's just USA Cycling for you.
What got me thinking was that, in the US, many of the 24-Hour races are touted as "marathon" events, and I realize if they qualified under the UCI rules as such, and their promoters sought UCI sacntioning, the US could sweep the UCI world marathon rankings.
So I looked into it...
Marathon Cross-country – XCM
Rule 4.2.004
The duration and distance of Marathon format cross-country races shall respect
the following:
minimum time/minimum distance
Marathon 3 hours/60 km
World Cup Marathon 4 hours/80 km
Continental Championships 4 hours/80 km
World Championships 4 hours/80 km
The course must be marked every ten kilometers by a sign indicating the distance
remaining to be raced.
The course may not include any section to be covered twice.
.... Well, darn that last rule. But, I supposed the Race Across America still qualifies.
So does the Shenandoah Mountain 100!
BE THERE.
Erin
