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.
Even as a startup race way back in 1976, the Marine Corps Marathon was an instant hit — and has only continued to grow and expand in popularity a half-century later.
In that initial year the race attracted a bit more than 1,100 runners, an impressive number for an upstart event. Today the participation total has swelled to between 35,000 to 40,000 each year, making it the third largest marathon in the U.S., and the largest race in the world that does not offer prize money.
A number of college cross-country teams in the metro area enjoyed success in their opening meets of the fall season.
The University of Maryland women’s squad dominated and won the 11-team University of Delaware Invitational with a low of 22 points. Host Delaware was second with 35.
What began with a modest number of participants 13 years ago swelled to more than 150 entries in this summer’s Arlington Triathlon.
The event is for youth participants ages 7 to 15. The triathlon begins with a swim in the Washington-Liberty High School aquatics center, followed by a flat bike ride on a closed loop course and finishes with a run on some streets near the school but mostly on the outdoor W-L track.
The fall high school cross-country season got an early and busy start in recent days, with meets held throughout the metro area.
Contests were held from Leesburg to Alexandria from Aug. 26-29.
Having won six straight conference championships, the Georgetown University Hoyas are regarded as the top college women’s cross-country team in the D.C. area, as well as one of the best in the country.
The Hoyas are projected to be ranked nationally among the top 25 in an upcoming Division I preseason NCAA poll.