Lehigh XC hosted its third major event last weekend; concluding a memorable year
12/19/2019 1:17:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Cross Country
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Last weekend, the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course on the campus of Lehigh University hosted the 2019 USATF Club Cross Country Championships. This annual event features post-collegians who represent teams from all over the country like San Diego, Colorado, Michigan and the Southeast.
In all, there were just over 2,200 runners who competed last Saturday. The day featured an opening ceremony, followed by five races. The Masters Men 8K (60+), the Masters Women 6K (60+), the Masters Men 10K (40-50), the Open Women 6K and the finale was the Open Men 10K. Runners ranged from their early 20s and even featured a few runners in their 80s and 90s.
"Being able to race on this course again was extra special," said former Mountain Hawks runner Evan Ward '16. "Many memories of grinding on the course were brought back and the familiarity of the course almost felt as a competitive advantage (if just mental). Seeing so many of my old teammates and coaches was great and really made me appreciate my time spent at Lehigh."
For Lehigh University, it was an external event, but it was an incredible showcase to be able to host a national-caliber event. It was truly the grand-daddy of them all for USATF Club XC, as $40,000 was the purse given to winners of various clubs.
"I've been a runner for 28 years the Club XC Championship at Lehigh exemplified what I love about the sport," said Lehigh alum Steve Gourley '00. "It's great competition on a beautiful course lined with friendly and familiar faces and it keeps me motivated for 2020."
Recent Patriot League winner and NCAA qualifier, Lehigh's Elizabeth Weiler '16 returned to her alma mater last weekend and raced. "I had been looking forward to this race essentially the entirety of 2019. The Lehigh course has always meant a lot to me as a runner. It was a bit strange to out there running in something other than the Brown and White, but at the same time it was so much fun to share my excitement for this place with new friends and a new team."
Last weekend marched the end of a busy, yet exciting period on the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. The course hosted three prestigious events throughout the past four months. The 46th Paul Short Run featured over 6,000 runners and was held in October, while the course also hosted the 2019 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Finally, ending with the highly profiled 2019 USATF Club XC Championship, Lehigh University was given the opportunity to continue showcasing one of the top cross country facilities in the country.
"This was my fifth time racing in this race and it's pretty neat to celebrate my 20th anniversary on Lehigh's course," said current volunteer men's cross country coach Edann Brady. "Club XC Championship is an amazing event, but it's even more amazing that Lehigh hosted it. We have the opportunity to compete with the pros in this event, unlike the major sports like football or basketball. It's also a neat opportunity to see how our alums developed.
"This course, this campus and our school continues to cement the reputation to a whole different age group and population. We normally serve high school and college students, but now we are serving runners in their 20s and even 90s." claimed head women's cross country coach Debbie Utesch.
In all, there were just over 2,200 runners who competed last Saturday. The day featured an opening ceremony, followed by five races. The Masters Men 8K (60+), the Masters Women 6K (60+), the Masters Men 10K (40-50), the Open Women 6K and the finale was the Open Men 10K. Runners ranged from their early 20s and even featured a few runners in their 80s and 90s.
"Being able to race on this course again was extra special," said former Mountain Hawks runner Evan Ward '16. "Many memories of grinding on the course were brought back and the familiarity of the course almost felt as a competitive advantage (if just mental). Seeing so many of my old teammates and coaches was great and really made me appreciate my time spent at Lehigh."
For Lehigh University, it was an external event, but it was an incredible showcase to be able to host a national-caliber event. It was truly the grand-daddy of them all for USATF Club XC, as $40,000 was the purse given to winners of various clubs.
"I've been a runner for 28 years the Club XC Championship at Lehigh exemplified what I love about the sport," said Lehigh alum Steve Gourley '00. "It's great competition on a beautiful course lined with friendly and familiar faces and it keeps me motivated for 2020."
Recent Patriot League winner and NCAA qualifier, Lehigh's Elizabeth Weiler '16 returned to her alma mater last weekend and raced. "I had been looking forward to this race essentially the entirety of 2019. The Lehigh course has always meant a lot to me as a runner. It was a bit strange to out there running in something other than the Brown and White, but at the same time it was so much fun to share my excitement for this place with new friends and a new team."
Last weekend marched the end of a busy, yet exciting period on the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course. The course hosted three prestigious events throughout the past four months. The 46th Paul Short Run featured over 6,000 runners and was held in October, while the course also hosted the 2019 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Finally, ending with the highly profiled 2019 USATF Club XC Championship, Lehigh University was given the opportunity to continue showcasing one of the top cross country facilities in the country.
"This was my fifth time racing in this race and it's pretty neat to celebrate my 20th anniversary on Lehigh's course," said current volunteer men's cross country coach Edann Brady. "Club XC Championship is an amazing event, but it's even more amazing that Lehigh hosted it. We have the opportunity to compete with the pros in this event, unlike the major sports like football or basketball. It's also a neat opportunity to see how our alums developed.
"This course, this campus and our school continues to cement the reputation to a whole different age group and population. We normally serve high school and college students, but now we are serving runners in their 20s and even 90s." claimed head women's cross country coach Debbie Utesch.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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