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There's a back-story to this year's Hock Championship that I think heightens the suspense.   Not that it needs any. It is what it is. And what it is - is a meet that brings out the best in individuals and therefore teams.

The suspense has as much to do with the course as the athletes. Hock-wise, this is a new course. The venue is the same but the distance has changed. This is the first year that the Hocks will be run at Borderland Park's 3.1M (5K) course. Now the rest of the story . . .

Since I started coaching XC in 1985, the course has always been 2.73 miles. Kevin Murphy and I have wheeled the course too many times to count. I can't say its been exactly the same because there have been slight adjustments over the years. The finish used to be on the gravel road right by the Ames Mansion. Safety issues forced a change to the field. Then there was the year that athletes ran straight across the first of the double-fields instead of following the road. And there was the very rainy year when the exit from the second field brought you thru a puddle 2' deep. The race was forced to take the shorter path. Most recently, the start was changed to avoid the ditch.

I miss the ditch. I have a lot of great pictures of the leaders caught in mid flight. Eyes focused, muscles taut, propelled toward their dreams. I never saw anyone fall. Another change on the chance that one day, somebody might trip. I hear they're working to develop a running cocoon for the 2010 meet!

The switch to the longer distance has taken some time. Other than Hocks, there is not a single course that is the same as when I started coaching. And this is the only course you were guaranteed to run every year – other than your own. So it became the standard for comparison over the years. I have every time of every athlete who ran for me. This is how I can compare a Karen Violet from '85 to a Lynn Johnson of '90 and a Stephanie McNamara of '06. My “top 50” list is 75 names long!

I've seen great battles, some involving athletes in red and white. There were the Liberatore vs. Lori Kelly years. And the three straight years of Taryn Kenney and Emily Estey trading championships. Perhaps my most memorable was their sophomore year when I rode in the lead truck for the first mile. They hit splits of 2:30 and 5:30 before it turned into a death march won by Kenney. They ran smarter the next two years! I'm sure other coaches have their favorites as well.

But the bottom line is that inevitably things must change. You can either embrace change or battle it. At the end of last year I decided it was time to shake things up – to try the new look.

I've got to be honest. I'm excited for Saturday. This year I won't be wondering if we can measure up to the past. This is the start of a new tradition – one I hope is maintained for a long time. Tradition is good. My athletes will be starting a new “All time best” list for 5K Hocks.

The competition will be great. On the girls' side Oliver Ames and Franklin will slug it out, capturing most of the top 7 spots between them. There is no Jenna Davidner on the boys' side.

Moverman will probably win, but there are at least six more athletes from three different teams who think they can. And maybe this year some team will finally upset Mansfield – or maybe not.

What we fans are assured of is that Saturday's start of a new tradition will be memorable. The fireworks start at 3:00PM.