what's the most difficult (or slowest) high school xc course

20 years ago I was coaching in Alabama and that state meet course was slow and hard. Steep hills and high grass. Some of the small school state champs ran 17:00. The course was in Birmingham. Don't know the name of it or the course record.

Lewis Morris Park in Morristown, NJ is pretty tough. I'm not sure it's run anymore, since it was run for meets in a conference that doesn't exist anymore, but the course record is 16:12, run by Tyler Udland in 2008. Later that year he won the New Jersey Meet of Champions at Holmdel Park in 15:40, on a day that was 30 degrees and windy.

McAlpine, in Charlotte, NC, is a BEAST!

Pennaylvania state course is tough, tons of hills and generally muddy. Brad Miles has the record with 15:47, gil ran a 15:50 or :52(I forget) this year. And the FL NE course is tough as well, but a few people incl Sara Sargent said the PIAA course is harder

Thetford Academy in VT, hardest XC course in the country, hands down

I ran that course - very difficult. I ran in the low 17:00s - would have been nice to run some of the groomed grass tracks that so many teams run on today.

free beer wrote:

20 years ago I was coaching in Alabama and that state meet course was slow and hard. Steep hills and high grass. Some of the small school state champs ran 17:00. The course was in Birmingham. Don't know the name of it or the course record.

OP, wouldn't it have been great to have posted the thread once, and gotten all the responses in one place?

There is a course in Louisville, EP Tom Sawyer.

Back in the early 80s, Rio Grande College in Ohio had a monster course. 2/3rds of the runners had to walk on moose hill. Treacherous coming down the other side. I ran 13:45 for 2.5 miles. A couple weeks later, I ran 12:28 at regionals. (30 second per mile difference)

Xavier HS XC course in Middletown, CT was the hardest course i can remember. i just remember nearly fainting before the last hill to the finish - this was about 10 yrs ago though. course changes may have taken place.

all races i ran in college were on courses 10000x easier than any high school courses we raced, w/ the exception being like Williams College course

seems like most college courses i raced are like fast golf courses not much slower than roads

kamfdkls wrote:

all races i ran in college were on courses 10000x easier than any high school courses we raced, w/ the exception being like Williams College course

seems like most college courses i raced are like fast golf courses not much slower than roads

I ran one in college (Great American 2002) that was on a golf course, but was so slow that the winner ran 26:23 (he had been 25 at NCAAs the year before in like 30:0X). Just to give you an idea what it was like, Chris Solinisky ran 16:05 for the 5k; Shalane Flanagan ran 17:48.

I think the course was long, but it wasn't just that. It had been raining for several days and had turned into a mudpit, it featured long, rolling hills with slick grass, several narrow wooden bridges with sharp turns leading up to them, angry insects, and probably other disagreeable features that don't immediately come to mind. In the race, I was attacked by wasps and one of our other guys busted his ankle on one of the aforementioned bridges. And did I mention it was long!

At least it wasn't as bad as the year they had it at McAlpine and it rained and there were turds floating around everwhere! Great American! Give me a break!

lol

Wise Guy wrote:

McAlpine, in Charlotte, NC, is a BEAST!

There was an HS XC race in Florida on the beach back in the day, don't know if they still have it. The winner ran in the 19s and was someone who dipped under 16 a few times. It's stupid.

hereford high school in maryland. the dip is a slut.

osu its hard.The 8k is even harder.The uva course is hard they run high school meets there.

northfield mountain Massachusetts...not the toughest but the first mile is awful.

South Lewis high school, Turin NY. Section III, home of F-M and Lopez Lomong (who ran this course a few years back) among others.

Very very rural area in the middle of farm country.

Brutal brutal brutal little course that throws you down a steep, rocky hill into a rolling cow pasture only go back up it then continue to gain as you go back up to the top. Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures...but in the 15+ years since I ran it and the thousands of miles since, it stands out.

HARTSHORNE WOODS in Highlands, NJ. All pavement and all of the steepest hills imaginable, Henry Hudson High School runs their home xc meets there. It is an absolute nightmare for your shins.