Course distances and climbs have been posted for the Buffalo O Fest. You can find the information
here.
How are the classes split between Green X and Y?
In an ideal world, organizers would publicize which competitors were on what course, if not on the start list, then someplace prominent in the meet notes and event website, and definitely on their meet packets (and punch cards where applicable).
While it's also helpful for some -- especially those who don't take the time to read the meet notes -- to have lists/signs at the start, competitors should have this information before they get to the start line.
The "Who's Registered/Start List" web page shows the X and Y designations for this event.
Glen is correct - see the course you are assigned to at:
https://www.mountainwebsoftware.com/oreg/bof09/reg...
More specifically, all Green Men are on Green X and all Green women are on Green Y.
For Red, F-21+ and M-20 are on Red Y, and the rest of the Red is on Red X.
If the split is by gender, why don't we just call the courses "Green M" and "Green F"?
because is not by gender..
Not on Red, but it is by gender on Green.
Because there is already a category called M-Green and if we also had a course called Green M we'd have a load of trouble.
As long as M-Green runs on Green-M, I can't really see there being much trouble.
That said, my original point was not aimed at this event, but at the use of Green X and Green Y in general. IMO, as long as Green is always split along gender lines, the official USOF categories should be Green M and Green F.
That would have avoided some confusion at West Point where their Green X had the female categories, and Green Y had the non-Interscholastic male categories. Chromosonal make-up apparently drove the logic behind this.
While we have usually had a gender split, it has not been universal. I recall at least one meet where the M-60s went with the Fs, to some general dismay among the older Ms who like to compare splits.
And eventually I predict we'll have a Green-Z course because Green-X is getting too large. If those old geeks want to compare their splits with the younger men let 'em run with the younger men.
Some of the old goats are quite happy to hang out with the Fs.
I have no problem with variations from the X-Y norm (none in the BFLO event!) -- if they are very explictly stated.