What to expect at a Cross Country meet

 Crash course for new parents of runners

 Basic information about how cross country works

• • Most of our races are 5K, or 3.1 miles.  Most race courses are on grass, or a mix of grass and dirt/gravel surfaces.  The courses are usually at parks or on school campuses.

  • Our varsity squad consists of 7 runners.  The varsity race usually includes only the top 7 runners from each school.  At most meets, there will be additional races that will allow all runners to participate on a given day.  Sometimes there are separate freshman races; sometimes the freshman run with other JV runners.  Freshmen are eligble to run in varsity races as well.  At some meets there will be two varsity-level races; sometimes we will enter both and sometimes only one of them

  • Most runners will use racing spikes - light shoes that can accommodate metal spikes of varying lengths on the bottom.  There are several specialty running stores in the DC regions where spikes can be purchased.  I encourage everyone on the team to get a pair.

  • Cross country meets are (usually) scored by adding the finishing place of the top 5 runners for each team.  The lowest score wins.  In most of our meets, there are awards of some nature given to the top teams and runners.  Sometimes there is an awards ceremony after the races are done.

Schedule information 

• • Here is the  schedule for 2025 (link to be updated soon!!)

  • We are part of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.  The WCAC champion is determined at the conference championship,  We also compete in the DC "state" championship. 

  • We plan to travel to the Jesuit championship in NYC in November.  This meet, while featuring a small number of schools, has been contested for more than 80 years at VanCortlandt Park.  We will take ~30-35 runners on the trip.  The list of runners making the trip will be announced shortly after the WCAC championship.

  • This year we plan to travel to the Nike regional championship in Cary, NC on the weekend before Thanksgiving.  This race includes  schools from Maryland south to Florida and west to Kentucky/Tennessee/Alabama, and serves as the qualifier for the Nike national championship.  This is an overnight trip, and runners miss their classes on Friday.  This trip is for a more select group; we will take ~15-20 runners on the trip.  The list of runners making the trip will be announced in early November.

Transportation to races 

• • For athletes, the general rule is that runners take a bus from Gonzaga to the meet.  Bus transportation is usually available for the trip home, although many parents will pick up their sons at the meet.  We generally do not allow runners to travel to the meet with their parents - this ensures that everyone arrives together and on time.  In some instances we will need 2 buses to travel to a meet, but will only need 1 coming back, so coaches will ask the runners to discuss travel plans with their parents several days before the meet.  In some instances we also arrange for a secondary pickup location in suburban Maryland or Virginia, to allow for a bit extra sleep and more convenient dropoff on race morning.  Exceptions to these policies are made when the meets are close to Gonzaga, such as those at Kenilworth Park; for meets at Kenilworth we will not have a team bus from Gonzaga.

  • When you travel to a race, allow extra time to park and walk from there to the course.  Most of our races involve many teams (sometimes over 100), and they are often held at venues that handle such crowds on an infrequent basis, which can mean parking on grass and uneven ground.  There is sometimes a charge for parking; I will usually try to alert you to this.  Most meets do not have a per-person entry fee, only the parking charge.  Because of the nature of the venues, in many cases the only bathroom facilities are portable restrooms. We will send out directions a few days before each race (using an address in a GPS does not always work for these venues).  Sometimes there are course maps available online or onsite in a meet program.  Maps will be sent out in advance when they are available.

  • Runners are generally expected to stay for the entire meet.  If their race is early on the schedule, they should stay to cheer on their teammates in other races.  If their race is later, they are supporting their teammates and allowing plenty of time to get ready for the race by arriving early.  Runners will also do a cool-down jog and stretch (10-15 minutes) after they race, so don't expect them to be ready to leave immediately after they are finished racing.  We can make exceptions when there are other family commitments, but these exceptions should be rare.

Race-day logistics

• • The boosters (parents) typically provide pre-race food on the bus - consisting of bananas, bagels, granola bars, or similar items.

  • For post-race food, options will vary.  At some venues, "concession-stand" type food will be for sale.  In some instances the bus will stop for food on the return trip.  Runners are also encouraged to bring healthy "refueling" snacks for after their race.  Parents often bring post-race snacks to the team tent as well.

  • Runners should bring their own refillable water bottle to the meets.  We will bring jugs of water and/or Gatorade, as well as some empty bottles for runners who don't have one.  Please do not send bottled water or sports drinks to races.  This generates unnecessary trash and is not consistent with our school-wide effort to "care for our common home" (in the words of Pope Francis).

  • At some races there are also meet-specific t-shirts for sale.

  • At a few of our meets there are "open" races, which are open to anyone who wants to race – so parents or alumni can lace up their spikes and give it a shot!