The Oglethorpe County cross country program has not been able to host a 5K race for years. High-traffic roads intersect potential routes at the schools, which was a major operational obstacle.
That changed this spring with a new all-grass cross country course at Oglethorpe Middle School.
“It’s a big advantage,” said John Adams, a sophomore on the OCHS varsity team. “You know when to surge, when to slow down, and when to push yourself at the difficult parts of the course. When you’re in front of a home crowd, you’re not going to want to lose.”
The new course is designed to be more than just a home track; it is a tactical training tool.
Cross country coach Brandon Adams emphasized that the layout was crafted with the postseason in mind, incorporating the kind of challenging terrain runners encounter at the state meet.
“We need more hill courses to prepare for state,” Brandon Adams said. “The hill back here behind the middle school is a rather tough hill, but it’s fair. We’ve got long straightaways, shade and open areas. It combines basically everything you’re going to find in a cross country course in the United States.”
The course was built behind the middle school to allow for the younger runners to have somewhere to train instead of driving to the high school. The route balances open fields and shaded stretches, anchored by the challenging hill.
There will be fencing on certain parts of the course which allow coaches to modify the layout, easily tailoring distances for everyone from recreational runners to the high school team training for 5K meets.
The course has already fostered a collaborative environment. Alumni and community volunteers spent spring break helping clear the land and install permanent fencing.
Brandon Adams is also working with local educators, including Beatrice Marchette, a teacher at the high school and alumni volunteer, to launch a recreational distance program that introduces running to elementary and middle school students.
“When I first got here, I knew we had to incorporate the middle school all the way down,” Brandon Adams said. “It’s going to be a tremendous asset to us.”
This inclusivity is central to the program’s vision. By creating a course that can be adjusted for different age groups, the program hopes to shift the narrative around distance running.
“Don’t be discouraged by the initial thought of it,” OCHS assistant coach Darrius Tompkins said. “Nobody wakes up one day and says, ‘I’m going to run a marathon today.’ They wake up and say, ‘I’m going to run a marathon in six months,’ and they work toward that goal.”
The course will make its debut as a Fast Feet series race on June 27, featuring various high schools. A one-mile fun run/walk between the middle and high school races is scheduled for Oct. 3.
The event is designed as a fundraiser to support the team while encouraging the community — from teachers to elementary students — to experience the course.
Adams said he hopes the event highlights the unique culture of the running community, which he describes as remarkably welcoming regardless of age or ability.
“When you get them out there, that builds that interest at a young age,” he said. “It’s family time, without screen time.”