The park’s varied terrain, including flat areas, steep hills, and wooded sections, offers a true cross country experience. Here are some stories and highlights of its connection to the sport:
- Longstanding Courses: Van Cortlandt Park has hosted races for over a century, with courses inaugurated in 1914 and modified in 1921.
- Iconic Races: The Manhattan Cross Country Invitational, established in 1972, attracts thousands of high school students annually and is considered the largest high school cross country meet in the United States. This race has launched the careers of many runners.
- Legendary Competitors: The park has witnessed the triumphs of many elite runners, including Olympians and national champions. Steve Prefontaine, Matt Centrowitz, Frank Shorter, Marty Liquori, and Shalane Flanegan are just a few of the notable athletes who have competed at Van Cortlandt.
- Click on their names to learn more about them.
The legendary Oregon runner competed at Van Cortlandt Park in the 1969 NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing third.
A miler and Olympian, Liquori competed at Van Cortlandt in the 1960s, describing it as a “hallowed place” and a crucial part of his development.
Another American running icon, Salazar, like Liquori, honed his skills at Van Cortlandt, with his high school career highlighted by strong performances on the course.
The father of the 2016 Olympic 1500m champion, Matt Centrowitz Sr., was a standout runner at Van Cortlandt, with his son also competing there.
The Kenyan-born runner, who competed for St. Benedict’s Prep, set a high school course record at Van Cortlandt in 2011, further solidifying the course’s reputation.
The Northwest rival of Prefontaine, Lindgren also competed at Van Cortlandt, winning the 1969 NCAA title there.
Nicole Freitag (formerly Nicole Blood):A prominent female runner, Freitag, won the Girls Eastern States title at Van Cortlandt multiple times and set a course record, according to manhattanuniversityxcinvitational.com.
A New York native, Lynch won the 1987 Girls Eastern States title at Van Cortlandt while competing for Hunter College High School.
A high school track and field star, Webb also competed at Van Cortlandt, with his performances there contributing to his development.
- NCAA Championships: The park hosted the men’s NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1968 and 1969.
- Ivy League Competition: Van Cortlandt has been the venue for the Ivy League Heps Cross Country Championships for both men and women for a significant number of years.
- Challenging Terrain: The course includes “the flats,” the initial sprint across the Parade Ground, followed by demanding climbs through the wooded areas, including the steep ascent of “Vault Hill” (also known as Cemetery Hill).
- Spectator Friendly: The course is designed to be enjoyable for both runners and spectators, with good vantage points to watch the races unfold.
- Sense of History: Running in Van Cortlandt offers a sense of connection to the past, knowing that generations of runners have tested themselves on the same trails.
- Enduring Memories: Many runners have vivid memories of racing at Van Cortlandt, recalling the excitement of the start, the challenge of the hills, and the rewarding feeling of finishing.
- A Defining Experience: Some runners consider Van Cortlandt the most difficult course they’ve raced on, despite training there regularly. It’s seen as demanding respect from all who compete there.
- Nostalgia and Connection: The park evokes a sense of nostalgia for many, bringing back memories of fall weather, fallen leaves, and the camaraderie of cross country running.
In essence, Van Cortlandt Park’s cross country course is more than just a running path; it’s a place steeped in history, challenge, and personal stories for countless athletes
Van Cortlandt Park: The “Mecca” of the Running World
(I get a personal kick out of this article because I am good coaching friends with Geroge Febles and his father – also a long time coach at Regis HS.) -SF
By Jilleen Barrett, Features Editor/Managing Editor
Van Cortlandt Park is a “natural showcase featuring the last vestiges of New York City’s native woodlands and wetlands,” according to the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. It’s already surprising to most that this exists in The Bronx, but even more shocking that its landscape has sparked the beginning of many running careers.
This is true for George Febles, who grew up in the Bronx, not far from the park. Febles ran for Xavier High School and continued to run on his own during college. Now, he is the cross country and track & field coach at Fordham Preparatory School, and has been for 38 years. No matter how he has been taking part in the running scene in his life, Febles has consistently ran the trails of Van Cortlandt Park.
“Van Cortlandt Park is, it’s really the national ‘Mecca’ in many ways for cross country,” Febles said.
Febles brings his team to the park about four times a week. He says he sees many other runners utilizing the park in real time and online.
“It’s just the perfect place to go and run distance when you’re trying to avoid the streets and crossing [them],” Febles said. “And nowadays with Strava, you see so many people that see Van Cortlandt, as the place to be.”
Van Cortlandt became known for inspiring running careers because it attracts thousands of high school students every year for the Manhattan Cross Country Invitational, a race created in 1972 by Manhattan College alum Ed Bowes.
Febles competed in the race as a high school student, prompting him to enter his own students in it every year since he began coaching. He plays a role in the race’s history as he initiated the use of Excel to keep track of each runner’s times — before then, it was recorded by hand and only the top 20 runners received official times. This change influenced the race significantly, Febles explained, especially since it usually attracts about ten thousand runners each year.
Luciano Fiore was one of those runners in 2014. Racing in the Invitational changed the entire course of his athletic career — after winning the Reebok’s Varsity “E” race by two seconds, granting him his first interview as an athlete along with a silver Reebok watch, he quit soccer to focus on running. He later attended Siena College and ran there for six years.
“The course was energizing and catered to every aspect of true cross country. […] My favorite part [is] a downhill with 600 meters to go alongside the Henry Hudson Parkway leading into the final gravel home stretch,” Fiore said of his first time running the course of the Invitational. “Once you cross the bridge and barrel down the final hill, you reenter the open grass fields and feel the roar of the people watching — it is electrifying.”
Now, Fiore finds himself in Van Cortlandt running professionally for Empire Elite Track Club. Even now, with all of his accomplishments under his belt, Fiore maintains that the Van Cortlandt Park running trails are not only difficult, but truly represent the “grit” of New York City.
“Running here is hard, plain and simple,” Fiore said. “Whether it’s a Van Cortlandt Track Club event, a New York Road Runners sponsored cross country series, the Ivy League Cross Country Championships or a kids fun run — the running here is hard.”
The park’s history of hosting successful runners in all of these races and more, Febles believes, is arguably the one of the most significant reasons to run there at all.
