Most Challenging Country Courses

I have to agree on Trask. It's not just a matter of running slowly - anyone can put together a course like that. This is the only course I have ever run where acute injury is not the exception, but the rule. I think I nearly stepped on about 10 people coming down the last hill to the creek last year.

In my spikes. On their hands and heads. I'm not even kidding.

Sunken Meadow. I've watched elite college runners puke on cardiac, their faces look like there ready to burst in tears

Wooster, Ohio. If not one of the toughest in the nation just a bit tougher than anything I have seen in the midwest, including Slippery Rock. Slippery Rock was so slow last year cause of the heat at Nationals. The meet earier in the year on the same day as Wooster showed that wooster had slower times on average with better runners.

Anyone ever ran the red Flash invitational at St. Francis University, PA?

That is about the toughest course I have ever run at in the US. There is no flat areas at all, and some of the hills are incredibly steep. I ran there back in 1996, so unless they have changed courses since then????

I think the course record is about 26 flat, and this is a legit 8k course.

-Clay

i've been to the st. francis course, and overheard a college girl runner saying that having a kid couldn't be more painful than running that course. also, slippery rock was slow because it's hilly as hell, not just because of the heat. the hill by the 4th mile mark looked to be the worst hill i've ever seen at an xc course, including hereford in md, one of the toughest high school courses. peace.

DIIxccoach,

You mention East Stroudsburg's course as very tough. I ran on their course in the early 70s and have a similar memory. Were they still using the one on the golf course when you were there?

Also, Clay is right about the course at St. Francis, Pa. I don't think there is 100 yards of continuous flat ground anywhere in Lorretto, Pa.

The course at the University of Pittsburgh's Johnstown campus is another tough one, constant hills, though not huge ones, and an unkempt grass surface, but they haven't a men's team for many years so it's probably an unfamiliar course. But it's a real joy to run.

Wisconsin/Parkside's course is similar in some ways, though not nearly as hilly, but constantly undulating (I hope I'm remembering the right school, I only ran on it once.)

The all-time champion that I can remember may also be out of service these days. Gallaudet College in Washington, DC had a course that was in one of the city's parks, maybe Fort Dupont Park, I can't recall. It's in the Northeast part of the city and it was/is nothing but good size hills and rough, long grass. I don't think you ever ran more than fifty yards on the flat at a time and rarely that much. Guys who'd usually run 25s for 5 mile xc courses would struggle to get below 29 on that course. Anyone know for sure which park it's in and if it's still in use?

I ran at St. Francis and i agree that was a difficult course. BUT...Rim Rock in Kansas was much tougher. Also i have to rank Indiana's course as one of the top 3.

what about kenosha, but I don't know if thats the toughest course. Also Michigans home corse is preety tough.

the kansas large class state meets are held at rimrock every year and that course is tough. but the course at slippery rock is so much more of a bitch. any D2 guys that went to nationals last year will tell you. that hurt like hell

I am going to have to agree with a number of people and say that slippery rock was by far one of the hardest courses I've seen. I also have to say that Western is going to have a pretty hard course this year as well. I saw it for the first time when we raced at their home meet this past weekend. There is some rocky terrain and some hills and it is at 8,000 feet. Overall I would have to say Slippery Rock is the hardest I've ever run though

Without a doubt....Davis-Elkins College in West Virginia.

I would love to see those Division 1 guys and gals try to run sub 24 minutes on the 8km course there.

jason

SIU's old XC course. Craig Virgin could not run sub 5s on it, the same year he ran sub 28 on the track.

AWANA GENTING HIGHLANDS XC MALAYSIA.

FIRST 4KM DOWN FLAT AT 2500-2200 FEET, LAST 8KM GOING UP AT 2200-3350 FEET--->THAT'S 1150 FEET ELEVATION!!!

Cinque mullini in Itally with knee high mud most of way only interrupted to run through barns, mills and farm buildings.

Oklahoma State's course.

The OSU Cowboy Jamboree is the "oldest consecutive cross country meet" in the US (this is the 66th year), and has widely been recognized as the toughest course in the nation. It's one big, scary roller coaster, and especially rough when it's muddy!

I second Kenosha's course, especially after it's snowed/iced.

:) jag

Hi HRE-

Yes, East Stroudsburg was on a golf course when I ran D2 Regionals in 1985. I think we've still got the course map in the archives in my office. If I remember correctly it was something like a mile rolling to start, pretty tame. Then you took a right and went up an absolute beast of a hill. I'm sure my memory has become clouded over the years, but that hill seemed like about 150 meters and I remember wishing I had ski poles (extensive nordic skiing background). Then up top you did a section that was rolling with a bunch of short steep spots. Somehow you got back to the start/finish area but I don't remember any big downhills as payoff for the early climbs. Past the 5k point is a total blur. That was without question the most pain I ever felt during college XC. Doesn't compare to how the nordic ski course at Oak Hill, NH beat me up, but that's a different story.

...my two cents...

I wish we'd get back to courses like that for the big races in our region. XC is a guts sport. I get ripped at the coaches who want us to race Regionals at flat courses like Franklin Park every year. The fast guys area still gonna be the fast guys, but at least at a course like Stroudsburg you earned your respect for good placings. You want flat courses, run them during the Invy's you go to. Championship courses ought to challenge the field to dig deep to earn your ticket to Nationals.

I just got to watch the race but sounds like Ballantyne is the toughest course around. Don't know if there will ever be another race there but I'd say from what I hear its the hardest course out there.

Peace

Franklin Park may be note worthy but not a hard or difficult course. It\'s actually rather fast. I do agree with Manhattan, that is on the other hand a tough course.

WE ACTUALLY HAD TO W-A-L-K ABOUT THE LAST 1KM TO REACH THE TOP.

2 Kenyans, 1 myanmar national, fainted last year.