Capital Cross Challenge Virtual Meets:
Boys 5K - Boys 3 Mile
Girls 5K - Girls 3 Mile
This preview was contributed by meet director Ellen Moore of the Sacramento Running Association.
Youth, high school and collegiate cross country runners will convene at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex on Saturday, Sept. 30 for the third annual Capital Cross Challenge presented by Hoka One One.
The Sacramento Running Association, in partnership with the Sacramento Sports Commission and Hoka One One, will host the one-day championship event.
Competition will include a 1.4-mile race for middle schools and youth clubs, a 2-mile race for high school freshmen and sophomores, a 5k for the high school varsity teams, a 6k for the collegiate women and an 8k for the collegiate men.
The first race will begin at 8:00 am and the final race is tentatively scheduled to begin at 12:35 pm.
"The Sacramento Running Association is proud to again partner with the Sacramento Sports Commission and Hoka One One to bring championship cross country to Sacramento," said SRA Executive Director Scott Abbott.
"The Capital Cross Challenge is quickly becoming an important fixture in the sport of cross country in Northern California."
The one-of-a-kind event expects over 5,000 athletes to compete across the youth, high school and collegiate divisions with 38 middle school and youth teams, 105 high school teams and 31 college teams entered. The meet projects to be the largest cross country invitational in the greater Sacramento area.
"The Capital Cross Challenge has nearly doubled in size for the second year in a row, while also continuing to raise the level of competition," said Meet Director Danielle Domenichelli.
"We are excited to host a number of top ranked high school teams from California and Nevada as well as nationally ranked college teams."
"To our knowledge, this is the only cross country meet in California that hosts all levels of the sport on the same course on the same day. This makes for a great atmosphere and truly brings the broader cross country community together for a flagship event," added Abbott.
Haggin Oaks Golf Complex was the site of the 2013 and 2016 NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships.
Past champions Sacramento Elite and Buffalo Chips Racing headline the youth and middle school divisions.
Top local powers St. Francis, Davis and Vista del Lago square off against top Bay Area programs Campolindo and Monte Vista in the girls high school divisions while top Nevada schools Spanish Springs and Galena look to challenge local powerhouses Jesuit and Rocklin and an upstart McClatchy program in the boys high school divisions.
Defending champion and NCAA Division II power Chico State looks to repeat in the men's college division. Nationally ranked Division II teams Cal Poly Pomona and UC San Diego along with top NAIA program Southern Oregon and regionally ranked NCAA Division I teams Cal, Santa Clara, New Mexico State and Cal State Fullerton look to contend for the title. Local programs Sacramento State and UC Davis also bring strong teams to the men's college division.
In the women's college division, nationally ranked NCAA Division II programs Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona look to be favorites while NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon and regionally ranked NCAA Division I schools Cal and Nevada will be vying for the top spot.
"The Capital Cross Challenge aims to elevate the sport of cross country locally by combining professional event organization by SRA and Sac Sports with a premier endemic sponsor in Hoka One One," added Abbott.
"Add in top notch competition at all levels at a spectacular championship cross country venue and you have the makings of a transcendent event for the sport of cross country here in Sacramento."
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
Other SRA events include the Run the Parkway on Nov. 5, the 35th annual California International Marathon on Dec. 3, the Super Sunday Run on Feb. 4, 2018, the Credit Union SACTOWN Run on April 8, 2018 and the Gold Country Half on June 10, 2018.
The Sacramento Sports Commission was created in the 1980s as a joint city-county advisory board to attract and develop major professional and amateur sporting events in the capital region. Sac Sports, a division of the Sacramento CVB, is responsible for fostering economic development of the region by securing, promoting and sustaining highly visible sporting events, tournaments and conventions.
The Sacramento Running Association, in partnership with the Sacramento Sports Commission and Hoka One One, will host the one-day championship event.
Competition will include a 1.4-mile race for middle schools and youth clubs, a 2-mile race for high school freshmen and sophomores, a 5k for the high school varsity teams, a 6k for the collegiate women and an 8k for the collegiate men.
The first race will begin at 8:00 am and the final race is tentatively scheduled to begin at 12:35 pm.
More Capital Cross Challenge Information
"The Sacramento Running Association is proud to again partner with the Sacramento Sports Commission and Hoka One One to bring championship cross country to Sacramento," said SRA Executive Director Scott Abbott.
"The Capital Cross Challenge is quickly becoming an important fixture in the sport of cross country in Northern California."
The one-of-a-kind event expects over 5,000 athletes to compete across the youth, high school and collegiate divisions with 38 middle school and youth teams, 105 high school teams and 31 college teams entered. The meet projects to be the largest cross country invitational in the greater Sacramento area.
"The Capital Cross Challenge has nearly doubled in size for the second year in a row, while also continuing to raise the level of competition," said Meet Director Danielle Domenichelli.
"We are excited to host a number of top ranked high school teams from California and Nevada as well as nationally ranked college teams."
"To our knowledge, this is the only cross country meet in California that hosts all levels of the sport on the same course on the same day. This makes for a great atmosphere and truly brings the broader cross country community together for a flagship event," added Abbott.
Haggin Oaks Golf Complex was the site of the 2013 and 2016 NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships.
Past champions Sacramento Elite and Buffalo Chips Racing headline the youth and middle school divisions.
Top local powers St. Francis, Davis and Vista del Lago square off against top Bay Area programs Campolindo and Monte Vista in the girls high school divisions while top Nevada schools Spanish Springs and Galena look to challenge local powerhouses Jesuit and Rocklin and an upstart McClatchy program in the boys high school divisions.
Defending champion and NCAA Division II power Chico State looks to repeat in the men's college division. Nationally ranked Division II teams Cal Poly Pomona and UC San Diego along with top NAIA program Southern Oregon and regionally ranked NCAA Division I teams Cal, Santa Clara, New Mexico State and Cal State Fullerton look to contend for the title. Local programs Sacramento State and UC Davis also bring strong teams to the men's college division.
In the women's college division, nationally ranked NCAA Division II programs Chico State and Cal Poly Pomona look to be favorites while NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon and regionally ranked NCAA Division I schools Cal and Nevada will be vying for the top spot.
"The Capital Cross Challenge aims to elevate the sport of cross country locally by combining professional event organization by SRA and Sac Sports with a premier endemic sponsor in Hoka One One," added Abbott.
"Add in top notch competition at all levels at a spectacular championship cross country venue and you have the makings of a transcendent event for the sport of cross country here in Sacramento."
The Sacramento Running Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding ways to encourage people of all ages and abilities to run. The SRA is committed to developing new, quality running events that appeal to a broad variety of runners.
Other SRA events include the Run the Parkway on Nov. 5, the 35th annual California International Marathon on Dec. 3, the Super Sunday Run on Feb. 4, 2018, the Credit Union SACTOWN Run on April 8, 2018 and the Gold Country Half on June 10, 2018.
The Sacramento Sports Commission was created in the 1980s as a joint city-county advisory board to attract and develop major professional and amateur sporting events in the capital region. Sac Sports, a division of the Sacramento CVB, is responsible for fostering economic development of the region by securing, promoting and sustaining highly visible sporting events, tournaments and conventions.