Crash course for new parents of runners
Basic information about how cross country works
 Most of our races are 5K, or 3.1 miles. Most race courses are on grass, or a mix of grass and
dirt/gravel surfaces. The courses are usually at parks or on school campuses.
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Our varsity squad consists of 7 runners. The varsity race usually includes only
the top 7 runners from each school. At most meets, there will be additional
races that will allow all runners to participate on a given day. Sometimes
there are separate freshman races; sometimes the freshman run with other JV
runners. Freshmen are eligble to run in varsity races as well. At some meets
there will be two varsity-level races; sometimes we will enter both and
sometimes only one of them
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Most runners will use racing spikes - light shoes that can accommodate metal spikes of
varying lengths on the bottom. There are several specialty running stores in the DC
regions where spikes can be purchased. I encourage everyone on the team to get a pair.
Cross country meets are (usually) scored by adding the finishing place of the top 5
runners for each team. The lowest score wins. In most of our meets, there are awards
of some nature given to the top teams and runners. Sometimes there is an awards
ceremony after the races are done.
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Schedule information
 Here is the schedule | this version has more information about who will run in each meet
 Directions to race venues
 We also travel yearly to the Jesuit Championship, held at the historic VanCortlandt Park in New
York on the weekend before Thanksgiving. This is an overnight trip, and runners miss their
classes on Friday. We generally take 8-12 runners from each class on the trip. The list of
runners making the trip will be announced shortly after the WCAC championship.
 We are part of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. The WCAC champion is
determined at the conference championship, scheduled this year for Oct. 25th. We also
compete in a "state championship" that is held for private schools in Maryland and Washington
DC. In recent years, our varsity team has been good enough to compete in the invitation-only
Southeast Regional Championship, serving schools from Maryland south to Florida and west to
Kentucky/Tennessee/Alabama. We expect to compete in this race again in 2014.
Transporation to races
 For athletes, the general rule is that runners take a bus from Gonzaga to the meet. Bus
transportation is always available for the trip home, although many parents will pick up their
sons at the meet. We generally do not allow runners to travel to the meet with their parents this ensures that everyone arrives together and on time. In many instances we will need 2
busses to travel to a meet, but will only need 1 coming back, so I typically ask the runners to
discuss travel plans with their parents several days before the meet. In some instances we also
arrange for a secondary pickup location in suburban Maryland or Virginia, to allow for a bit
extra sleep on race morning.
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When you travel to a race, allow extra time to park and walk from there to the
course. Most of our races involve many teams (sometimes over 100), and
they are often held at venues that handle such crowds on an infrequent basis,
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which can mean parking on grass and uneven ground. There is sometimes a
charge for parking; I will usually try to alert you to this. Most meets do not
have a per-person entry fee, only the parking charge. Because of the nature
of the venues, in many cases the only bathroom facilities are portable
restrooms. There are directions to most of our race venues on the team
website. Sometimes there are course maps available online or onsite in a
meet program.
Runners are generally expected to stay for the entire meet. If their race is
early on the schedule, they should stay to cheer on their teammates in other
races. Runners will also do a cool-down jog (10-15 minutes) after they race, so
don't expect them to be ready to leave immediately after they are finished
racing. We can make exceptions when there are other family commitments,
but these exceptions should be rare.
Race-day logistics
 The boosters typically provide pre-race food on the bus - consisting of bananas, bagels, granola
bars, or similar items.
 For post-race food, options will vary. At some venues, "concession-stand" type food will be for
sale. In some instances the bus will stop for food on the return trip. Runners are also
encouraged to bring healthy "refueling" snacks for after their race.
 At some races there are also meet-specific t-shirts for sale.
 At a few of our meets there are "open" races, which are open to anyone who wants to race – so
parents or alumni can lace up their spikes and give it a shot!