Race Day Details

SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

If your team is interested in competing in the 2026 Forest Park Cross Country Festival please fill out our interest form here to be added to the email list.

2026 Meet Schedule

7:30 AM – Open Race
8:10 AM – Girls Varsity Green
8:40 AM – Boys Varsity Green
9:05 AM – Girls JV Green
9:45 AM – Boys JV Green
10:00 AM – Green Awards (Girls followed by Boys)
10:20 AM – Freshman Girls* (all divisions)
11:00 AM – Freshman Boys* (all divisions)
11:30 AM – Freshman Awards (Girls followed by Boys)
11:40 AM – Girls Varsity White
12:10 PM – Boys Varsity White
12:40 PM – Girls JV White
1:20 PM – Boys JV White
1:35 PM – White Awards (Girls followed by Boys)
2:00 PM – Boys 3k Middle School
2:03 PM – Girls 3k Middle School
2:25 PM – Middle School Awards

*Freshman races are now 5k


+If heat poses a threat to athlete safety, we reserve the right to shorten the race distances.

Your division and box assignment will apply to all Varsity and JV races.
Freshmen race boxes are first come, first served. Please do not take more than one box unless instructed by the starter.

The Forest Park Cross Country Festival will be held on the northern side of the park utilizing Langenberg, Cricket and Lindell Fields. The course begins and ends with a long 400m+ straightaway and will be mostly flat with some short punchy hills. Due to recent construction around the Forest Park Visitors Center, we redesigned the course to remove many of the turns from the previous course. Athletes can still expect to run FAST this year!

We will have timing splits at the one and two mile marks. High res version can be found here.

The top three teams in each race will receive a team award. The top 30 individuals in each race will receive a custom Forest Park Cross Country Festival medals.

The awards ceremonies will take place in the Festival area near the finish line on the stage. The awards schedule is as follows:

AWARDS CEREMONY TIME SCHEDULE

8:30 AM – Open Race Awards Ceremony

10:00 AM – Green Awards (Girls followed by Boys)

11:30 AM – Freshman Awards (Girls followed by Boys)

1:35 PM – White Awards (Girls follow by Boys)

2:25 PM – Middle School Awards

T-shirt and concessions will be available once again this year at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival. The t-shirt tent can accept credit card payments, but the concession stand is CASH ONLY.

Other amenities include a professional meet announcer and real-time chip timing including 1-mile and 2-mile splits and a video board with finisher names and times.

The meet organizer’s reserve the right to alter or cancel the meet due to inclement weather in the case that we deem conditions to be unsafe to compete or complete a given event. In general, the Forest Park Cross Country Festival will follow the MSHSAA weather policy. In the case of lightning, we will delay the start of any event until 30 minutes after the last sighting of lightning.

In the case of extreme heat, our team and the Athletic Trainers from Mercy Sports Medicine plan to follow the NFHS Wet Bulb Thermometer policies throughout the day and adjust the schedule if needed.  

For High School– if the wet bulb temperature reaches 87, we will adjust all 5k races to 3k, eliminating the second loop of the north end of the course. If the wet bulb temperature reaches 90 the remaining events of the day will be cancelled.  

For Middle School– if the wet bulb temperature reaches 84, we will adjust all 3k races to 2k,  If the wet bulb temperature reaches 87 the remaining events of the day will be cancelled. 

We will make announcements over the PA and communicate via email with the coaches if any schedule changes are made. 

Weather Communication:

  • We will make announcements over the PA system at the meet. As we are able, we will communicate delays and schedule updates via email to coaches (on the intent to compete list) as well as on Twitter. Please follow @BigRiverRacing and @SLUHXCTrack for real time updates.

Weather Procedures:

  • The head starter, head athletic trainer and the Meet Directors will make the call to implementing the Lightning Safety Policy.
  • If lightning is detected within 20 miles of the venue we’ll enter into a “Heads Up” mode, finishing the current race and watching the weather pattern to see if the lightening is moving towards the venue.
  • If lightning is detected within 10 miles or less we will begin safety procedures and initiating participants and spectators to seek shelter. The course and festival area (including the team tent area) must be completely cleared by the time lightning is within 6 miles.
  • Activities will be delayed until the storm has passed; resumption of activities can begin 30 minutes after the last lightning strike is detected at greater than or equal to 10 miles. We’ll do our best to communicate a “restart time” giving athletes adequate time to get warmed up and to the starting line.
Spectator Parking is available throughout the park. We have designated lots at the Visitor’s Center and both the lower and upper Muny lots. Street parking is available throughout the park as well, but please obey all posted parking signs to avoid getting ticketed.
Bus Route and Parking
**Note there are now two bus drop off locations** Option 1. Buses can enter the park from the North (Lindell) or West (Skinker) entrances and use Lagoon Dr. (just west of Dwight Davis Tennis Center, see map) for dropping off their teams near the designated team tent areas. Option 2. Buses may enter the park from the South (Hampton) entrance and drop off on Pagoda Circle and set-up team tents on Cricket Field or near the twin lots.
Once athletes are dropped off, the upper Muny parking lot is open for bus parking. Please note, commercial vehicles, including buses, are not allowed to park on Lindell Blvd.