The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Milliken Research Center, a venue that South Carolina USATF Youth Chair Valerie Beesley describes as “probably the most beautiful location in which a cross-country meet is held.”

Youth competitors from the ages of 5 to 18 will race distances from 2 to 5 kilometers depending on age, and winners will qualify for the regional championships in Georgia the following weekend. A non-qualifying open masters competition will begin at approximately 10 a.m., and will feature a 5k for ages 18 and up.

Beesley believes that the championships are important to Spartanburg because of the potential economic impact. “We eat, sleep and spend in this area during the competition,” she says. Athletes from other areas in South Carolina also are exposed to potential collegiate possibilities through visitation in Spartanburg.