What is the most famous cross country course?

For sentimental reasons, I would put Belmont Plateau in the top 5.

Realisticaly:

5 Mills

Parliament Hill

Vanny

Mount Sac

Terre Haute

I wouldnt put Holmdel in the list because it is mostly used for NJ HS meets.

By the way, I read that the NJ people think Holmdel is tougher than Belmont. It most certainly is not tougher. Of the "big 3" on the east coast, I would put Vanny as the toughest. Imagine what it was like BEFORE they put in the packed gravel surface.

Ummmm.... ever heard of the OSU Cowboy Jamboree?

Birdlegs wrote:

To: dsfasdf

Have you ever run the course in question? The answer is no. If you had, you would not dispute this.

Where are you from?

Have you run every difficult XC course in the world?

If you had, you would not make such a claim.

DETWEILLER COURSE IN PEORIA ILLINOIS BY FAR

verzbicas wrote:

DETWEILLER COURSE IN PEORIA ILLINOIS BY FAR

The fact that you have to tell us which Norman Rockwell town it's in proves that it isn't a "famous cross country course"

typical upstate Illinois high schooler...

2x NYCMarathon winner Tom Fleming held the all-comers record. The current course has been gentrified like many parts of NY have been. It may be spiffier but it is not better.

jerry k wrote:

Van Cortlandt....what other course has had its high school course record owned by such as Marty Liquori, Alberto Salazar, and now one of the Rosa brothers (who recently ran 8:42 for two miles) Van Cortlandt is the "Yankee Stadium" of American cross country, and they're both in the Bronx.....If you set the record or come close to it at Van Cortlandt you are Olympic material....

In New England, Manchester NH, Thetford VT and Wickham in CT all have major invitational that attract athletes from the region. I've watched the Jersey MOC and I don't think it is any tougher than the other courses plus they don't have any invitationals on it that attract outside competition. Its only famous because NJ guys talk about it so much.

Sunken Meadow State Park- - - certainly as famous as VCP in NYC metro circles - - - - very tough course (Cardiac Hill, Heartbreak Hill), although I hear they've made it a little easier over the years.

Franklin Park and Mt SAC are nice, but its Vanny for Fame...end of conversation. You are welcome.

I have been to both Holmdel and Mt Sac and the NJ kiddies would poop thier pants if they had to run Mt Sac.

As far as famous - in the USA in no real order my vote would be

VCP

Franklin Park

Mt Sac

As for the question about World Cross in the USA - it was also held on the infield of the Meadowlands Horse Race Track I think in 1984.

Detweiler and CV perfect together.

How many other American Courses can say that a 2X World XC Champ holds the course record? That would be none.

Nuff said.

Mt. Sac

Holmdel

Vanny

Those are the first three courses (Other than Wickham, I'm a CT kid) that come to mind when I think of Cross.

Yo ducky - take a chill pill - I'm sure it wasn't lucas V and more sure the dude was jokin ... pretty sure it isn't the nastiest course in the world but Veteran Acres in Crystal Lake is definitely a great place for young runners to learn the true meaning of cross country.

For web hits it Balboa Park and the Footlocker HS national Championships. At least 4 times more for our web site than any other XC race.

Wow, you know Tiger Woods? I didn't think hot greedy women posted here.

I've run Mt. SAC and Holmdel, and I'd put Mt. SAC ahead for both toughness and fame. Comparing the 3M/5K courses: There are two tough hills at Holmdel (start, Bowl), and they're done by mid-race. If you cruise the opener, you're pretty much okay the rest of the way and can attack on the Bowl--it's flat and down after that, and that twist-and-turn section through the woods in Mile 3 could even be called fun. At Mt. SAC, there are three pretty much evenly spaced hills, each of which is as tough as either of the Holmdel hills and one of which (the Switchbacks) is the toughest of the five. The third one (Observatory) is in the first half of the third mile--a bad place. And just for kicks (or the lack of them), the final 100M is a mild but steeper-as-it-goes uphill, too. As for fame: correct me if you know different, but I never hear about Holmdel in CA, but I do hear about Mt. SAC in the East.

this was famous a couple of years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Yru1JO2lE

Parliament Hill is the most famous in Britain and also one of the toughest.

Watch for example this clip of 2009 National XC champs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dts7Z4PLaNY&feature=related

There are some good falls at 3:50 and 3:55 and also a guy in the mud looking for his shoes. (I'm not going to say when I run past!)

This clip of the start is good too and gives a sense of how steep it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HQJzh8-6o&feature=related

VC is definitely way up on the list. the tradition there is unmatched (at least in the East). Being from PA i am partial to Belmont Plateau. the old 5 mile course there is legendary.