Welcome to SPM Cross Country 2024!

Grades K-5

Active4Youth and Spokane Public Schools offer cross country for kids in grades K-5 in the fall. Kids sign up through their feeder pattern, practice with their school and competes in two meets each fall with their fellow feeder pattern schools. The season culminates with the All-City meet in late October.

Cross Country helps connect children to a vital part of the human legacy, running together.  Children play running games, set personal goals, cheer each other on, and work to be healthier and get faster.

Registration is now open!

REGISTER

Practices

Practices are held every week from September 10 to October 8.  We will have a sign-out for children on the play field at 4:00.  Entrance to the field is by the maple tree.  You must let us know before taking your child.  Please be sure to arrive by 4:15, after which we will be in the office calling to ask where you are.

NOTE: Parents of Kindergarten participants are required to be present during Practices.

If it’s a rainy day we will hold practice indoors and will sign out children from the Adams Street entrance of the school.

Days: Cross Country practices will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school.

Times: Practice starts at 3:00 PM and will end at 4:00 PM.

Where: Students will meet in the West Gym for the first week and will typically hold practice outside on the playfield.

Meets

Children must ride the school bus to Audubon Park.  We are generally there by 3:50 and racing starts soon after.  Parents are not allowed into the Team Zones, but are welcome to cheer on the runners around the course.

When their race is finished, you may come to the Team Zone for Montessori and sign out your child.  They’ll need to fold and return their race jersey.  Usually we have all parents/guardians pick up their children from the meet (and highly encourage you to do so), but if that isn’t an option we will return to SPM via school bus and wait at the Office.

 There are two meets during the regular season.  Only grades 2 – 5 will compete at these meets.  To qualify for All-city your child would need to finish in the top 10 of their heat (during either of the two meets).  It is also possible to qualify for the All-city meet by running faster than the qualifying time. 

Kindergarten and First Grade will not participate on meet days.  However, at school we will do time trials before each meet to allow them to really push themselves.  Any K-1 runner that beats the qualifying time will qualify to run in the All-city half-mile race.

Grade

Girls (time in minutes)

Boys (time in minutes)

K/1

4:30

4:15

2

8:30

8:00

3

8:00

7:30

4

7:45

7:30

5

7:30

7:15

6

7:30

7:15

Calendar

Tuesday September 10th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday September 11th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Tuesday September 17th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday September 18th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Tuesday September 24th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

FIRST MEET: Wednesday September 25: NC ZONE MEET AUDUBON PARK 3:30-5:30

CANCELLED DUE TO INCLIMENT WEATHER

Tuesday October 1st: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday October 2nd: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Tuesday October 8th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday October 9th: NC ZONE MEET AUDUBON PARK 3:30-5:30

Tuesday October 15th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Wednesday October 16th: SPM Cross Country Practice 3:00-4:00 PM

Thursday October 17th: MAKE-UP NC ZONE MEET

COME CHEER US ON! All City Franklin Park Tuesday October, 22 3:30-6:30!

Volunteering

If you have your volunteer clearance, we are always grateful for help with sign-in, sign-out, set up, clean-up, running drills, being a corner-cheerer, or helping at the meets.  If you would like to volunteer, but do not have clearance yet, sign-up online and join in the fun!

Active4Youth's partnership is vital for SPS, as the partnership allows the district to offer kids after school activities to keep them engaged in real life experiences. The research is clear: Extracurricular participation improves attendance, academic achievement and overall mental and physical health.

Wil Smith, a graduate of Lewis & Clark High School, went out for cross country when he was a student at Jefferson Elementary School and credited Active4Youth's partnership with SPS as getting him introduced to the world of distance running. Nowadays, Smith is a star runner at Gonzaga University and recently competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials: