Toughest NYC Area XC Course

Van Cortlandt

Sunken Meadow

Bowdoin

Holmdel

Very tough to rank as they all have unique features. This is my take on these monster courses.

Sunken Meadow

Holmdel

Van Cortlandt

Bowdoin

ive only run vanny and bowdoin and vanny is harder but bowdoi is really narrow at some points so its hard to pass

Holmdel is tougher than VCP. Holmdel was a pristine course with great footing, challenging hills, and nice scenery. Unfortunately, the local parks commission is trying discourage XC by placing pavement across the starting area. It really sucks when government paves over grass. Then what's the point of parks. I've they are trying enourage walkers to use the parks.

I haven't run Bowdoin or Sunken Meadow.

while they are still tuff courses, holmdel and vanny USED to be much harder. not to take anything away from todays kids (fory's, etc) but the conditions of those courses today do not compare to when hudson ran vanny or jdj dominated holmdel. just my 2 cents from an old fart.

How in the world is anybody ranking VCP ahead of Bowdoin?!? VCP's 5k is easy. It's just rolling hills for about a 3/4 of a mile, nothing more; everything else is flat or down. Bowdoin is slightly harder then Sunken Meadow (or at least it's a few seconds slower). When I was a senior I ran Bowdoin and Sunken Meadow in consecutive weeks when I was in peak shape and I ran 16:47 at Bowdoin and 16:45 at Sunken Meadow and the Bowdoin race was slightly better. So I give to edge to Bowdoin though it's really a tie most likely. I've never run Homdel but everybody I know who has run it and has also run Bowdoin and Sunken Meadow swears it's harder. While I hate the Jersey bias I will admit it's probably harder. I would rank them as:

1) Homdel

2) Bowdoin

2) Sunken Meadow

4) VCP

Prior to the resurfacings at Holmdel & VCP, I would've said:

Sunken Meadow & Holmdel - virtual dead heat, both very difficult courses

Bowdoin - just a touch behind the above two, no more than about 2-5 seconds.

VCP - easiest of the 4 courses, but still a tough and fair test and not a "walk in the park" by any means.

Since the resurfacings in the late 90s/early 00s:

SM - maybe even tougher nowadays with more sand on the course than previously

Bowdoin - relatively unchanged since the current layout was unveiled, a very tough challenge - sub 16 remains a very big accomplishment.

Holmdel - still a tough test, but with more and more sub 16s each year, it seems to be not quite the monster it once was, even with the kids running better and better as the high school running renaissance of the last 7 years or so continues.

VCP - the easiest of the four courses in this person's opinion, but it will always remain a stern test for any kid looking to break 16 or try to qualify for Nationals.