Youth, high school and collegiate runners will compete at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex
Youth, high school and collegiate cross country runners will convene at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex on Saturday, Oct. 1 for the second 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 2.1-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 8:30 am and the final race is tentatively scheduled to begin at 11:40 am.
For more information, visit RunSRA.org.
"The Sacramento Running Association is proud to 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 2,500 athletes to compete across the youth, high school and collegiate divisions with 42 middle school and youth teams, 60 high school teams and 20 college teams entered. The meet projects to be the largest cross country invitational in the greater Sacramento area this fall.
"The Capital Cross Challenge has more than doubled in its second year, while also raising the level of competition with many of the region’s top ranked teams," said Meet Director Danielle Domenichelli.
"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 NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships and will again serve as the region’s host in 2016. The Capital Cross Challenge will serve as the NCAA West Region Preview meet for competing collegiate teams.
Returning champions Our Lady of Assumption and Buffalo Chips Racing headline the youth and middle school divisions while state-ranked and local power programs St. Francis, Jesuit, Bella Vista and Davis High School look to be strong contenders in the high school divisions.
Several Pac-12 Conference teams including Cal, Arizona State and USC join local programs Sacramento State, UC Davis and American River College in the collegiate divisions. NCAA Division II powers Chico State and Cal Baptist look to contend in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
"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 34th annual California International Marathon on Dec. 4, the Super Sunday Run on Feb. 5, the Credit Union SACTOWN Run on April 2 and the Gold Rush 50k on May 14.
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.
Hoka One One is the fastest growing premium running shoe brand in the world. Two life-long runners launched Hoka in 2009, after years spent handcrafting and shaping lightweight shoes with extra-thick midsoles. Initially embraced by ultrarunners because of their enhanced cushioning and inherent stability, Hoka now offers shoes for all types of athletes who enjoy the unique ride the shoes provide.
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