Important Upcoming Dates
June 1, 2026: Registration opens for returning team members (including incoming 6th graders who ran on the elementary team last year). Registration can be found on this webpage.
June 10, 2026: Registration opens for new team members at 7am.
June 2026: All potential team members should start pre-season conditioning at home. Start by running 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week. Increase your frequency and duration slowly. Use conditioning plan above.
Practice begins the last week of July 2026.
*The team will be capped at 50 participants.
June 10, 2026: Registration opens for new team members at 7am.
June 2026: All potential team members should start pre-season conditioning at home. Start by running 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week. Increase your frequency and duration slowly. Use conditioning plan above.
Practice begins the last week of July 2026.
*The team will be capped at 50 participants.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
All middle and high school CSTHEA athletes are now required to complete a physical prior to participation. You must download and print the form below. It must be completed by a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathics, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant. Completed forms must be turned in at the parent meeting or first practice.
Practice Information
Middle School team practices are held Monday and Thursday evenings at Greenway Farms and/or Woodland Park. Long runs are held Saturday mornings at various locations (Greenway Farms, Enterprise South, Ruby Falls, etc) for advanced runners by invite only. As with any other sports team (basketball, soccer, etc.) siblings or other non-team members are not permitted to participate in practices. If you need to drop your runner off at practice you will need to designate, and communicate to your child, another parent to be responsible for your child in the event of inclement weather, injury, etc. Team members are also required to run 2-3 days at home outside of scheduled team practices according to the workout schedule.
Season Schedule
Cross country season is longer than many sports seasons so please consider that before registering. The entire season is about 15 weeks long running from late July - 2nd week of November. The first race will be held in late August. The team will participate in approximately 10 races including in-town weekday and Saturday races as well as out of town races in locations such as Knoxville, Nashville, Cookeville and Dayton. The season culminates with an overnight option at Fort Bluff for the NACA Championship.
Gear Required
- Watch: All runners are required to wear a watch with a stopwatch feature at every practice.
- Shoes: Well-fitting, running shoes in good condition are required. We recommend the following brands: Altra, Brooks, Nike. We strongly advise you visit Fast Break, Front Runner or Fleet Feet for a fitting and to purchase appropriate shoes. These shoes typically cost $90-130. It is well worth the investment to protect your student athlete from injury. Shoes which are worn out, too small or not designed for running are not permitted and can lead to injury. Some athletes like to use XC spikes for races. These are not required but can be helpful. We have a lending library of spikes in various sizes which you may borrow for the season for a small contribution.
- Athletic clothing: It may go without saying but athletic shirts, shorts and socks are expected. Young ladies need appropriate undergarments (sports bra). As the weather gets cooler, your runner will likely need a pair of thin running gloves and breathable beanie cap. Hats and sunglasses may be worn for practice but typically cannot be worn in races.
Cost
Participant cost is $135 per runner which includes uniform and race registrations. Reduced cost for returning runners not needing uniforms is available. Additional cost: our final race, NACA, includes a sleepover option at Fort Bluff Camp which costs approximately $65 per runner. In addition, all athletes must have an up to date association membership: Join CSTHEA.
Looking for more information? Be sure to check the XC homepage: Cross Country - Boys & Girls
You may also email Coaches Andrew and Robin Scharff: r[email protected]
You may also email Coaches Andrew and Robin Scharff: r[email protected]