What has 54 schools, 1400 kids, a lot of mud, wet and 3.1 miles? A Fleet Feet Cross Country Invitational at South Fork High School!

What has 54 schools, 1400 kids, a lot of mud, wet and 3.1 miles?
A Fleet Feet Cross Country Invitational at South Fork High School!

This is the 12^TH year for this event and it was a great success. Coach Bonnie Galdys-Fleming from South Fork High School is really the driving force behind this race. The cross country team (http://sfhs.martinschools.org/pages/South_Fork_High_School/Departments/SFHS_Athletics/FALL_SPORTS_PAGES/Cross_Countryi) is not part of the school’s budget. Bonnie had the vision to put on this race in conjunction with Fleet Feet Sports, 12 years ago as a way to raise money for the XC (cross country) team. Last year a booster club was formed to help with the many tasks involved with putting on a big race like this.

The venue is pretty awesome! Some years back there was a golf course that backed up to South Fork H.S. When it went out of business, the land was purchased by the school for the agriculture department. Bonnie saw this as a great venue for a big “State” meet. There are just a handful of great XC courses throughout the state so she knew it could attract a big crowd. Most of the courses are flat, they cross roads, some concrete or paved roads and sidewalks. So not always that exciting to run on. The South Fork course looks nothing like a golf course any longer. But has a lot of trees, some ponds, rolling hills and great trails. It makes for a great 3.1 mile XC meet.

It never fails, each year prior to the race, it rains. That makes for a lot of water, mud and fun for the kids. This was a record turnout for us this year. 54 schools from around the state which brought about 1400 kids to the event. There are multiple heats. Girls and boys varsity, junior varsity, middle school and so on. When you see all of those kids lined up at the start, it’s just an awesome thing to see. The start takes place at the bottom of a hill in a big open field. It’s low lying so it was pretty wet. When the kids take off you just see a massive amount of water flying up from their feet, which is just awesome! Click on this link to http://www.tcpalm.com/picture-gallery/sports/high-school/cross-country/2017/08/26/fleet-feet-invitational-cross-country-at-south-fork-high-school/104989092/ TC Palm and you’ll see some great photos.

New Balance was our major sponsor. We also had Zensah Compression with us. Both vendors were very generous and gave out a lot of great gifts to the winning kids and teams. The whole event had a great vibe. Almost a carnival atmosphere. The school teams bring their tents and tear drop banners and set them up all throughout the course. Between, coaches, kids and parents, there are several thousand people at the meet. Fortunately the rain held off and we had a light breeze. Just as we finished packing up, the storms rolled in.

The 12 Annual Fleet Feet XC Invitational was a big success thanks to Coach Bonnie, volunteers and the booster club. They managed to raise a lot of money for the team. I’m not sure of the total yet as the numbers are still being finalized. The money will be put to great use. It provides summer training camps for the kids. Bonnie usually takes them to a camp in the mountains of GA. So the kids get a great summer workout. The money also provides transportation to and from other meets throughout the state and team uniforms. In addition, money also goes to the track and field team which Bonnie coaches. Bonnie is a wonderful person and great coach. The kids and families love her. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication, which she does on her own time. Without Bonnie and all of her efforts, no telling where these teams would be, or if they would even exist.

Cross country is a very interesting sport. The kids are amazing and all cut from the same cloth. Most are very hard working, started a little shy, timid and unsure of themselves.  A lot don’t or haven’t played other sports. Maybe because they don’t feel like they fit in with some of the other team sports. But when they start running, everything changes. They become more outgoing and confident. They’re part of this great team of students and runners. Running is a very non-judgmental sport. No one really cares how fast or slow you are, they only care how fast they are.  And they soon realize that speed is relative. No matter your pace, there is always someone faster or slower than you, usually. So it’s a very individualized sport as much as it is a team. The comradery is awesome! Everyone encourages and uplifts each other.

We are thankful to be part of this great running community and events like the Fleet Feet XC Invitational. If you ever get the opportunity to go to a meet, check it out. It’s very inspiring to see these kids working and running so hard. Truly a great experience.

Stay safe, happy and healthy, we’ll see you out there!

Edgar