Two Division I college cross-country teams from the D.C. area, one a women’s squad and the other men’s, recently won conference championships with dominating performances.
The Howard Bison women won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title for the second straight year and third time since 2022. The consecutive crowns were Howard’s first since the 2002-03 seasons.
It’s not the primary focus of a high school cross-country meet, but sometimes, observing runners toward the tail end of a race can be even more interesting and exciting than watching the front of the pack.
Lead runners receive the main attention and cheering, but spectators — if they are still paying attention by that time of a race — often cheer for those tail-ending harriers as much as the winners, and maybe more.
With a couple of months of regular-season action in the books, the postseason has begun for metro-area high school and college cross-country teams.
Upcoming high school meets are held locally at different venues, with most college postseason competitions taking place out of the area.
Cross-country runners who graduated from high schools throughout Northern Virginia are included on rosters of many Division I women’s college teams across the commonwealth.
Some are among top collegiate performers, while others are striving to reach that status.
For decades each fall, two similar, small and unique high school cross-country championship meets annually are held in two nearby Northern Virginia jurisdictions, generating significant anticipation and excitement from participants and spectators.
Those two girls and boys varsity competitions are the Arlington County and Alexandria City championship meets, typically held in late September or early October. This year both were held the same afternoon — Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Jay Jacob Wind, a well-known, well-liked and longtime stalwart on the running scene in the metro area, is retiring as a race director.
He will direct his final race, the Potomac River Run Marathon and Half, on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Ever-changing autumn weather conditions make each college and high-school cross-country season unique.
Foul weather can often cause postponements of other outdoor fall high-school sports, but cross-country are expected to proceed. That’s the nature of the sport.