With registration open for the McDonald's X-country Festival at Maymont set for September 26 and 27, 2008, interest is high for one of the premier cross country running festivals in the country.

"We've made it even more affordable for high schools teams to be able to enter even more kids into the event," says Jon Lugbill, executive director of the Sports Backers, the event's organizers. "And with our festival atmosphere, we'll have a great event for our high school visitors and our community runners."

Last year more than 2,000 kids from more than 100 high school teams from up and down the East Coast and as far West as Colorado came to compete on rolling hills and dales of the Maymont Estate. Nationally ranked high school teams from Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware gave local cross country runners a taste of top-level competition on a home course, making it as exciting for supporters and spectators as for the runners.

Adding to the action around the high school events is the fact that community runners have the choice between a challenging 5K on the rolling, hilly course through Maymont Park (Friday, September 26) or a 13.1-mile trail and road race through Richmond's James River Park and downtown streets (Saturday, September 27), which is quite popular with dedicated runners. "I love the Maymont Half Marathon," says Mechelle Lafon, of Richmond. "I've done 11 half marathons and Maymont is my favorite. A little bit of it is off road (Buttermilk Trail and Belle Isle Trails) and I like that."

The festival starts Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. on September 26, with the Elementary School 1-miler. The open 5K start follows that at 6:00 p.m. Walk-up registration will be taken onsite for the 5K, as well as Saturday's middle school kids' races and half marathon until 6:00 p.m. Friday evening. There is no walk-up registration on Saturday, September 27. Every runner in an open event receives an official race t-shirt (half marathon registrants get a technical t-shirt) and is admitted to a post-race celebration with plenty of free food, drinks and music.

McDonald's X-County Festival at Maymont Schedule

Friday, September 26, 2008
	
Race/Event	            Distance	Start
Elementary School Boys	    1 mile	5:30 p.m.
Elementary School Girls	    1 mile	5:40 p.m.
Open 5K	                    5K	        6:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Race/Event	            Distance	Start
Half Marathon	            13.1 miles	7:00 a.m.
Middle School Boys	    3K	        9:00 a.m.
Middle School Girls	    3K	        9:15 a.m.
High School Races	    5K	        9:30 - 4:00 p.m.

For more information go to www.sportsbackers.org or call 804-285-9495.