For many involved in the sport, cross country is all about meeting challenges. Coach Rob Atkinson developed one of the newest meets on the Alabama state cross country calendar, the TR Miller Challenge, to meet a few challenges.
Coach Atkinson wanted a course that would be as rewarding for the spectators as for the athletes. “We wanted to create a course and an atmosphere that would allow the runners to receive support from parents, fans, and coaches throughout the whole race.” Toward that end, the course he created at Brewton Middle School is set up so viewers can see about 80 percent of the course from one location. He also wanted to have a course that would be a true cross country course, one that is a challenge for the athletes as well. He believes “This is not a PR course. It is a real cross country course. We have a section that replicates “the Snake” at Oakville. It is a unique course for the area, since many of them in this section of the state are flat.”
Since the meet will be in Brewton, it is in a location that makes it attractive for a number of schools from a wide area including south and central Alabama, northwest Florida, and Mississippi. Of the 14 schools entered, eight are from Alabama, five are from Florida, and one is from Mississippi. There are traditional powers, such as UMS Wright and Pensacola Christian Academy, emerging powers such as LAMP, and new programs like Andalusia entered.
With no parking or admission fees for spectators, it certainly is rewarding for all the folks that support the sport. The course is well marked, spectator friendly, and in good shape this year. If all goes as planned, it should be a fine meet. Now the next challenge for the host will be encouraging more teams to come next year.