For those unfamiliar with the Woodward Park 5k cross country course, here is a nice aerial tour:
Woodward Park is a 300 acre city park located adjacent to the San Joaquin River on the north end of Fresno, CA. It opened to the public in 1968.
The first cross country courses within the park were laid out in 1975 and were used for age group races along with local high school meets including the Central Section championships.
The Clovis Invitational began in 1979 on the 5k Woodward course and has been run in October every year since save for the cancelled 2020 meet due to C19.
However, the first "big time" meet staged at Woodward was the (then) Kinney West Regional Championships staged in 1980. Whatever the 5k course records were until that time, they were obliterated that early December day. Kinney/Footlocker West Regionals remained at Woodward through 1997.
Future Olympic Steeplechaser Marc Davis ran 14:38 at the 1986 Kinney West Regional to set the course record which would last for 21 years.
California finally staged its first statewide hs cross country championships in 1987. Woodward Park has been the host site since (2020 meet also cancelled due to C19). All races have been 5,000 meters.
German Fernandez set the current course record of 14:24 at the 2007 CA State Meet.
In other words, Woodward Park's 5k course has been in use for 48 years and has not changed a bit. Very likely this is the longest standing 5k cross country course anywhere in the country.
Which is why German's record is so historic and noteworthy . . . and why breaking it would mean so much, not only to the Youngs or any other athlete, but to the larger distance running community which understands this would be one of the greatest achievements in US hs distance running history.