The Eve of the Races

Two thousand runners, coaches, parents, fans, and meet officials enjoyed a festival atmosphere the night before the Great American Cross Country Festival in McAlpine Park Greenway in Charlotte NC.  After leisurely orientation runs around the lake and through the woods, they checked out gear and souvenirs at the tent of Brad Herbster's running store.  Then, as a full Carolina moon rose in a perfectly clear sky, there was a pasta dinner with a steel band playing, plus running talk from Fila star Adam Goucher, magazine editor Marc Bloom, and star coaches Jeff Arbogast (Bingham UT) and Orville Hess (Campbell County WY).    

T-Shirts of the Festival

photos by Doug Speck