Silver Creek Metro Park Cross Country Course, Norton OH
Packet pickup will be held on Friday, December 11 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Double Tree by Hilton Akron/Fairlawn. Team declaration changes will need to be made by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11. No changes will be accepted after this time.
Packet Pickup only will be available beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 12 at the race site.
The technical meeting will be held virtually via zoom during race week. Details will be shared with participants. The meeting will be recorded and shared for those unable to make it.
Team Tents will be available to rent. For tent rental information and the request form, please click here.
Teams can bring their own tents up to 10’x20’ in size and can be set up in the designated areas. Assistance with location will be provided. Tents must be weighted or staked. USA Track & Field and the LOC reserves the right to move tents incorrectly placed or left unsecured.
Team tents can be left overnight at Silver Creek Metro Park but it should be noted these are left at your own risk and security is not provided.
Team declarations should be made during the registration process. If you are a club wanting to register athletes on their behalf and need assistance, please email events@usatf.org. Your team declarations can be edited on your USATF Connect/Sport:80 account while registration is open. Once registration closes, changes will have to be submitted in person during packet pickup hours on Friday, December 11. No changes will be accepted via email, over the phone or verbally instructed. A team change form must be completed. Team declarations can also be submitted closer to the event via the online form. Team Declarations submitted to this form are considered final. Changes after submission will need to be submitted in person during packet pickup hours on Friday, December 11. No changes will be accepted via email, over the phone or verbally instructed. A team change form must be completed.
There is no added course obstacles or elements.
All runners will be issued a uniquely numbered competition front bib at packet pick-up. Competition bib numbers must be pinned on the front of the outermost layer of clothing that you will be wearing in the race and must be visible throughout the race. The transponder timing antennae or B tag is attached to your front bib. Per USATF Competition Rules, bibs are to be worn as issued. They should not be crinkled, folded or cut. The bib and transponder are disposable after the race.
All Master runners must also wear an age/gender back number pinned to the back of the outermost layer of clothing that they are wearing in the race. Please use four pins to affix the back number in such a manner that it is visible to any runner behind them and will not flip up. Any competitor failing to wear a competition bib number on the front and a visible age/gender back number as directed will be subject to disqualification. If your packet is lacking a back number, extras will be made available at packet pick-up and at the start line. Per USATF Competition Rules, bibs are to be worn as issued. They should not be crinkled, folded or cut. Back bibs are disposable after the race.
Anyone found to have received illegal assistance is subject to disqualification. “Assistance” is the conveying of advice, information or direct help to an athlete by any means, including a technical device. It also includes pacing in running or walking events by persons not participating in the event, by competitors lapped or about to be lapped, or by any kind of technical device. The use of wireless devices (I-pods, I-phones, etc.) is not permitted. Competitors may carry or wear articles of personal equipment such as wrist chronometers and heart-rate monitors. Verbal or other communication, without the use of any technical device, from an individual not on the course shall not be considered assistance. Questions should be directed to the Referee at crosscountry@usatf.org.
Per USATF rules - Spiked shoes may be worn. A maximum of 11 spikes per shoe are allowed. Spike length shall not exceed 25mm (approx. 1 inch).
The jersey or singlet worn by the members of a team shall be basically identical for each member in color and style, and must be clearly visible throughout the race, i.e., worn as the outer garment if other apparel items are worn underneath by one or more team members. Individuals not complying with this uniform rule may be disqualified from scoring for a team. If a club has an “A” team and a “B” team in the same age/gender division of the same race then the “B” team must obtain stick-on letters at the packet pick-up for use as identifying back tags if both team uniforms are the same. No problem if uniforms are different.
All complete teams must report together to the Clerks at the starting line tent beginning 30 minutes and ending 15 minutes prior to their race start time to verify their matching team uniform singlets. All runners will be checked for spike compliance, front bibs, and Master age/gender “back” numbers prior to the start. Clerks will assist placing teams in their assigned starting boxes. Incomplete teams and unattached runners may line up in any unused starting boxes. A list of starting box assignments will first be made available on Friday, December 11, 2026 at the host Hotel. The Clerks will have copies of the starting box assignments on race day. There will be a two-command start: “On your marks” followed by the firing of the starter’s pistol or air horn signaling the start of the race.
A race may be recalled upon a false start or a fall which impacts the field within the first 100m. Runners who false start are subject to disqualification.
A competitor must retire from the race immediately if directed to do so by a duly authorized official of the race or by an appropriately identified member of the race medical staff.
Results will be posted near the finish line and online as soon as possible after each race. See the Championship Referee if there are any problems/omissions. There is a one hour protest period once results have been posted after each race.
Please refer to the table below for team scoring and declaration limits for each age group at the 2026 USATF Cross Country Championships. Further detail is provided below the table.
Open Cross Country Championships shall be scored by the places of the top five finishers of each teams declared runners (up to eight allowed).
The team score shall be the total of the finishing positions of the scoring members. The team with the lowest total points is the team winner. Runners of incomplete teams, team entries not declared eligible for team scoring, and unattached or individual competitors will be eliminated from team scoring. Non-scoring declared members of complete teams shall retain their finishing positions and thereby displace other runners. If a team fails to finish with a complete scoring team, the team members finishing shall be counted as individuals in the race results and shall be eligible to receive individual awards.
Team scoring tie breaker (Rule 7.9.b) – Ties between two or more teams shall be resolved in favor of the team whose last scoring member finishes closer to first place.
When separate competitions are conducted simultaneously, each shall be scored independently. Runners on teams not eligible for a given competition will be eliminated from team scoring in that competition.
Each Master team division shall be scored separately by places of the top 3 or 5 team finishers respective of the division (see chart).
Note: If a 60+ master male runner chooses to compete on a younger team and runs in the M40+ 10k race, then that runner will forfeit the ability to place in their own individual age division since they did not run in the same race or at the same 8k distance as all of the other 60+ runners. This does not apply to a 50-year-old master male runner who runs on a M40+ team since that runner would still be in the same race at the same 10k distance as all the other M50-54 runners.
Onsite parking available. More information to come.
The course will be open to preview between 12:00-3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 11. Weather immediately proceeding the championships may dictate that the course is closed during the preview and can only be viewed from the spectator areas. This is to protect the running surface prior to competition.
More information coming soon. Athletes, coaches, officials and team managers are welcome to attend. Questions should be directed to the Championship Referee at crosscountry@usatf.org.
More information will be provided soon.