By Justin Hsieh, Staff Writer
On Saturday, Oct. 6th, the Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) cross country and track and field (XCTF) program will host the 37th annual Central Park Invitational. The event, which takes place at Huntington Central Park, has grown tremendously in recent years to become one of the premier cross country meets on the West coast and in the country.
Like many cross country meets, the Central Park Invitational (CPI) is a series of 17 three-mile cross country races held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with Division 1 schools competing in the morning and Division 2 schools in the afternoon. Unlike the average meet, however, CPI is attended by over 100 schools from multiple states.
“Over the past 4 years, we’ve more than doubled the attendance to nearly 125 schools and 6000 runners,” said former XCTF Booster President and current CPI Producer Don Marion. “Athletes from high school teams in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii will compete in this event. Additionally, an approximate 5000 spectators come to cheer on the athletes.”
Accompanying this enormous expansion in attendance, CPI has seen the development of a huge set of attractions and activities for runners and spectators alike.
“During my tenure we’ve made many changes, bringing in a concert style sound system and a larger variety of vendors. We’ve added a mechanical surfboard and photo booth, both free to the athletes. In addition [we have] multiple food vendors, clothing vendors and medical stations; including a KT Tape station, deep tissue rub outs and of course our first aid station run by our school trainer,” said Marion.
A meet of such immense proportions does not happen easily, however. In addition to Marion, meet director and Head Boys’ Cross Country Coach Steven Knowles work all year ironing out the logistics of the monumental event. On the day of the meet, XCTF Booster board members lead a volunteer corps of approximately 400 XCTF athletes and parents to manage tasks from securing Porta-Potty services to handing water to athletes as they cross the finish.
“It is an awful lot of preparation; it goes on all year long and the last couple of weeks are especially difficult,” said Knowles. “Both Don and I will be there all day on Friday and from 5 a.m. on Saturday until about 7 p.m. We get great support from the community; thanks go out to the police, the fire department, the paramedics, the city council, and the mayor of Huntington Beach.”
Despite the Herculean workload, though, the meet organizers express unequivocally that the effort is worth it. Proceeds from CPI go to fund the highly successful cross country and track and field programs at FVHS, and the meet itself provides an unforgettable day for all participants.
“It’s absolutely the best cross country race in Southern California, and it’s the most fun. It’s not just a race, it’s an experience being there. I appreciate all the kids and parents that help support and run the race. Without them, we couldn’t do it,” said Knowles.
