Cross Country | 8/9/2023 10:22:00 AM

By Paul Suellentrop
 
Trends in leisure time handed Wichita State coach Kirk Hunter 95 acres from which to design a cross country course four miles from campus.
 
Cross country coaches – also part naturalist, cartographer and trail-blazer – love this kind of challenge. After almost a year of dreaming and planning, the Shockers will enjoy a new home course at Clapp Park, starting with the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 2.
 
"It's a sense of pride to make something that everybody is going to enjoy," Hunter said. "Something that is going to be used by thousands of athletes."
 
With the number of golf rounds in decline at Clapp Park, the city of Wichita ended the park's use as a golf course in 2019. While it is home to an 18-hole disc golf course, runners of all ages use Clapp Park as a training ground.
 
A year ago, Wichita State coaches saw the potential for Clapp Park to become a more prominent part of the area's running culture. Clapp Park, located at Harry and Oliver streets, replaces 4 Mile Creek Resort (formerly known as the RAFT Golf Course), located near Augusta.
 
"It's a labor of love," said Steve Rainbolt, director of track and field and cross country. "You spend time traipsing around that property on foot. Making markings on topographical maps. Laying the thing out. Measuring it. And measuring it again. And measuring it again. With a wheel. On foot."
 
In addition to Wichita State's use for training and meets, high schools and other colleges practice at Clapp and are interested in adding meets to the calendar. Troy Houtman, director of Wichita's Park & Recreation Department, said he expects Clapp to host meets ranging from junior high to high school to small college.
 
"This idea of having a dedicated course in the middle of town seemed to work really well for everybody," he said. "It's a great location. Plenty of parking. It becomes a great resource for Wichita on a lot of levels."
 
The plans started in the summer of 2022 when Rainbolt watched the Shockers work out at Clapp. The sight made him nostalgic for golf at Clapp, but he also saw the potential for cross country.
 
"(Rainbolt) was standing out there, filming my kids, and said 'Why don't we run out here?" Hunter said.
 
That conversation started Hunter on a year-long job. Clapp, a golf course from 1921-2019, is populated with prairies grasses, elm and willow trees. Its years as a golf course make the footing solid. Runners love the trees. There are enough slopes to make the course appropriately challenging.
 
"Kirk Hunter is building what I really believe will end up being a step up for us in the way of a championship-level cross country course," Rainbolt said. "The property is absolutely beautiful. It's going to be very spectator friendly."
 
Hunter worked with guiding principles inspired by his years as a runner and coach. He borrowed from courses he enjoyed in Peoria, Ill., and Terre Haute, Ind., one of the nation's top courses. He also took from 4 Mile Creek, originally designed by former WSU coach John Kornelson and updated by former coach Marc Burns.
 
"You go to meets around the country and you know what is wrong," Hunter said. "Then you see the ones you love."
 
The starting line needed 400 meters of straightaway for the pack of runners to spread out – the distance required to host the conference championship. The start and finish need to be close for timekeepers and officials. Laying out the course so fans could easily watch the race was a priority. Artificial turf will cover the sidewalks and pedestrian bridges.
 
It took Hunter around 20 revisions. Former Shocker Adam Moore gave him feedback. In May, the layout satisfied coaches.
 
"Adam Moore probably ran five or six different courses to tell me how it was," Hunter said. "Adam was my guinea pig."
 
The course features 2-kilometer and 3-kilometer loops, allowing flexibility for all levels of races. The JK Gold Classic, for example, uses the 6-kilometer course for the men's college race and 5-kilometers for the women's college race. The AAC meet is 8 kilometers for men and 6 for women.
 
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.