Pole Green Park

Cross Country Course

8996 Pole Green Park Lane

Mechanicsville, VA 23116

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HOME TO THE

2023 & 2024

USATF National Cross Country Championships

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The Pole Green Park Cross Country Course is the location of the Spiders home competitions. Located about 25 minutes from campus, northeast of Interstate 295 the facility provides quick, easy access to the venue and is only 10 miles from the Richmond International Airport.

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This 232-acre park opened in the fall of 1998. Amenities at this park include multiple cross country course designs, softball fields, soccer fields/football fields, a skate park, tot-lots and playgrounds, a concession building with restrooms, running/walking trails, picnic shelter, community center, a horse ring with stable area, sand volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. 

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The most iconic cross country course in Virginia, the cross country facility has served as the host site for the 2023 and 2024 USATF National Cross Country Championships which selected team USA for the World Athletics Championships. This venue has served as host to the 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 Atlantic 10 Conference Championships, 2019, 2020 and 2022 NIRCA National Cross Country Championships, 2021 and 2024 NJCAA National Cross Country Championships, 2008 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, 2008-2023 USATF-Virginia Junior Olympic Championships, 2014-2024 USATF-Virginia Association Cross Country Championships, 2014-2024 Pole Green Park 5K Run/Walk, Milestat.com HS Invitational, RVA Relays (Night Relay Event), 2014 and 2015 Cross Country Only National Invitational and countless other events including high school district, regional and state championships.

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Hanover County Parks and Recreation maintain this course at the highest level. They groom the course weekly (March-November) making the Pole Green Park XC Course one of the very-best venues in the state of Virginia, if not the Eastern U.S.  Extremely well maintained and groomed, this smooth, 100% grass/dirt surface has zero paved roads or sidewalk crossings on the lower course and the new 2K loop course designed for the 2023 and 20224 USATF Cross Country National Championships.

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For the first time in history the USATF Cross Country National Championships (Open, U20 and Masters) were held in Virginia on the Pole Green Park 2K loop course in 2023 and 2024 as part of the Richmond Cross Country Festival. The U.S. Championships, which date back nearly 140 years to 1883, brought Olympian's and our nation's best distance running stars to the Pole Green Park Course.  The park also hosts the annual Hanover Tomato Festival (attracts roughly 30,000 visitors annually), as well as many county events and youth sports tournaments.

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2K Championship Loop Course Description:

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The 2K loop course was designed to host the 2023 and 2024 USATF National Cross Country Championships which included 6K master’s women’s and U20 women’s races, 8k master’s men’s and U20 men’s races and the 10K open races for men and women. The layout was plotted with the spectator in mind and an open layout focused on gradual turns providing an opportunity to run fast with limited interruptions to the runners rhythm. From the common start area it is ~500M to the first turn on the course. The average width of the course is 12 meters/40 feet. The start line will hold 600+ runners and the finish is a 200 meter straight line from the final turn.  The entire course is highly visible and extremely spectator friendly with handicap accessible parking within 30 meters of both the start and finish lines, which are in close proximity to each other.

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Upper Course Description:

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The upper course includes very spectator-friendly, European-style grass loops running along the perimeter of the upper fields within the west side (back area) of Pole Green Park. The terrain on the upper loops is primarily flat and provides for a fast surface where spikes are highly recommended. Utilizing the common start area it is ~500M to the first turn on the course. The average width of the course is 12 meters/40 feet. The start line will hold 400+ runners.  The entire course is highly visible and extremely spectator friendly with handicap accessible parking within 30 meters of the start line. The upper course has 2K, 3K, 5K, 6K, 8K and 10K layouts.

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Lower Course Description:

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The lower course runs over mostly the same area as the upper course for the first mile, before heading east into a series of trails (roughly 10 feet wide) with several rolling hills and a couple steep ascents and descents within the wooded area of Pole Green Park. True cross country covering hill and dale, this course will test your ability to find rhythm. Also using the common start line, it is ~500M to the first turn on the course. The average width of the course is 12 meters/40 feet over the 1st and 3rd miles, with the 2nd mile getting narrow in some places (under 10 feet in width). The start line will hold 400+ runners. This layout is also spectator friendly and handicap accessible views over the 1st and last mile of the course.

 

Aerial View of Pole Green Park Link (View area of XC Course at 1:55 into video…Cell tower in background is ~500M into race start)

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There are lots of parking spaces available next to the start/finish area. Also, easy access for buses, vans and cars with places to park and turn around.

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MAJOR EVENTS HOSTED/TO BE HOSTED:

November 9, 2024- NJCAA D1, D2 & D3 National Cross Country Championships

November 2, 2024- Atlantic 10 Conference Championship

January 20, 2024 - USATF National Cross Country Championships (USA team selection event) 

October 27, 2023 - Coastal Athletic Conference Championships

January 21, 2023 - USATF National Cross Country Championships (USA team selection event) 

November 5, 2022- NIRCA National Cross Country Championships

October 29, 2022 - Atlantic 10 Conference Championship

October 15, 2022- MileStat.com XC Invitational

November 13, 2021- NJCAA D1 & D2 National Cross Country Championships

March 3, 2021-  Atlantic 10 Conference Championship (Postponed until Spring 2021 due to COVID)

November 7, 2020- NIRCA National Cross Country Championships (Postponed due to COVID)

November 9, 2019- NIRCA National Cross Country Championships

October 27, 2018- Atlantic 10 Conference Championship
September 1, 2018- Pole Green Park 5K/USATF-Virginia Association Championship
November 18, 2017- USATF-Virginia Jr Olympics Championship
September 2, 2017- Pole Green Park 5K/USATF-Virginia Association Championship
October 29, 2016- Atlantic 10 Conference Championship
September 3, 2016- Pole Green Park 5K/USATF-Virginia Association Championship
October 31, 2015- Atlantic 10 Conference Championship
October 17, 2015- Cross Country Only National Invitational
September 5, 2015- USATF-Virginia Association Championship
October 17, 2014- Cross Country Only National Invitational
August 29, 2014- USATF-Virginia Association Championship
November 2, 2013- Atlantic 10 Conference Championship
November, 2008- USATF Jr Olympics National Championship

2015 through 2023- MileStat.com XC Invitational
2003 through 2023- USATF-Virginia Jr Olympics Championship

2003 through 2023- Countless HS meets including Regional and District Championships

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Directions to Pole Green Park
Address: 8996 Pole Green Park Ln, Mechanicsville, VA 2311

From the East? Take I-64 Westbound to I-295 Northbound. Follow I-295 Northbound to exit 38-A (Pole Green Road). Travel Eastbound on Pole Green Road for approx. 3.9 miles. Pole Green Park will be on the left. Follow the road back to course.

From the West? Take I-64 Eastbound to I-295 Southbound. Follow I-295 Southbound to exit 38-A (Pole Green Road). Travel Eastbound on Pole Green Road for approx. 3.9 miles. Pole Green Park will be on the left. Follow the road back to course.

From the North? Take I-95 South bound to I-295 Southbound. Follow I-295 Southbound to exit 38-A (Pole Green Road). Travel Eastbound on Pole Green Road for approx. 3.9 miles. Pole Green Park will be on the left. Follow the road back to course.

From the South? Take I-95 Northbound to I-295 Southbound. Follow I-295 Southbound to exit 38-A (Pole Green Road). Travel Eastbound on Pole Green Road for approx. 3.9 miles. Pole Green Park will be on the left. Follow the road back to course.

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