Nike Border Clash 13, November 2011, photo courtesy of Nike communications
For me, Thanksgiving week truly begins with the NCAA cross country championships and the Nike Border Clash. In the past fifteen years, I have missed once, and there were several times, due to flight delays, that I just made it (an long night of revelry for Jan Johnson’s birthday in Atascadero provided one close call).
It is a day or night to say hello to friends, and enjoy our sport in its purest form. Cross country is part of the oldest traditions in our sport.
This weekend, there will be the NCAA 1,2 and 3 Championships and the Nike Border Clash, the unique battle for Pacific Northwest supremacy in high school cross country between the states of Washington and Oregon. The brainchild of Josh Rowe and John Truax in the late nineties, this is, for me, an example of all that is good with our sport.
This year, I heard that Nike was putting the races on in the evening. This should be fun, and again, highlight the largest sport in high schools across the US-athletics, with cross country in the fall (465,000 runners in 2012) and track in spring (1 million plus), athletics is king in U.S. high schools!
Enjoy a night of cross country if you are near Beaverton tomorrow!
Which State Will Reign Supreme Under the Stars?
Pacific Northwest’s Racing Elite Compete in 15th Annual BorderClash
High School Runners From Washington, Oregon Battle in Night XC Race; Athletes Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay to Appear
WHAT: For the first time and in honor of the 15th anniversary, Nike presents the BorderClash as an evening race. 160 elite high school runners, representing Washington or Oregon, compete in a dual meet format under the stars, barreling towards each other in a cross-country showdown designed to determine the best running state in the Pacific Northwest.
Elite runners Galen Rupp and Jordan Hasay cheer on participants, who despite being staunch competitors during race season, join together to rally as one team under one state flag, across a grueling course on the campus of Nike’s world headquarters.
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 23
Boys Race: 5:30 p.m., Girls Race: 6:30 p.m.
Futureclashers race: 5 p.m.
Media check-in: 4 p.m. (at Tiger Woods Center)
Interviews available with students, athletes post-race
WHERE: Nike World Headquarters, Ronaldo Field
Parking: Tiger Woods Center (enter via Walker)
WHO: Galen Rupp, Olympic silver medalist and Portland native
Jordan Hasay, American middle distance runner and University of Oregon student
160 high school athletes (complete list available)
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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by Larry Eder
