A Memphis Tradition
I've mentioned in other articles about how the sport of
cross country tends to lean towards traditions. It could be the camaraderie of everyone doing the same workouts or maybe
it's racing the same distance that brings teams together. The training starts in the early summer heat
and finishes in November when the weather normally gets a bit cooler (although
cooler in TN for early November is up for discussion). You race through rain and run through
mud. A hill isn't a hill unless your
muscles burn all the way to the top. And
just as you feel you want to give up, you find another gear and pick up the
pace. There's no choice on that, your
teammates are counting on you.
One big tradition in the Memphis area is to run the Horton. This race has been going on since 1989. The race itself is named after long time coach Frank Horton and honors a past runner with the "Shamrock". It's tough to explain that tradition without tearing up a bit. But anyways, this meet clearly comes in as the top meet in the Memphis area that athletes and teams really want to run and even more, want to win. The Horton is so much a tradition in the area, the State and surrounding States that if you don't run it, you feel like you missed out on something in your season. The meet is at the end of September and already teams from MS, LA, AR, MO and of course across the state of Tennessee have already registered to race.
But other than the back story tradition of the meet, what
really is the drive to want to compete in the Horton? Timing is one reason. It comes near the end of September which for
some is a crucial point in the season and a great time to be testing where
you're at in your conditioning. Then
there's the organization. This meet has
always had a great group of organizers and volunteers.
When the season is over and you look at the rankings, you won't see The Horton listed with the fastest times around. Jesse Owens, Southern Showcase and even a couple other courses will be more prominent in that area. That's because the course is not an easy course. If a flat course is your particular draw, this place is not for you. At first glance, it may not necessarily appear to be an openly hilly course. Don't worry, you won't be climbing any Mont Blanc's along the way. The hills are more subtle and rolling but still, they present a challenge for anyone underestimating them. By no means is this an outright PR type of course but if you do set one here - and some athletes have - you can consider it a major accomplishment! It's a course that will test your fitness and immediately assess just exactly how ready you are for the post season.
The level of competition we see at this meet every year does bring out the best in every athlete. Last year's Varsity Girls and Boys winners ended up State champions at the end of season. So yea, the competition tends to be a bit on the high level side for sure!
All those are big pulls to want to race this meet. But there's a few additional features of the race that make it a draw as well. The food trucks are nice. Getting a T-shirt or Hoody immediately customized on site. The VIP area is even better. The Athlete village brings everyone together. The big screen is great to watch. The stage becomes the podium, so that's a nice touch. You can even play a corn hole game while you listen to the DJ have some fun on stage!
Oh, did I mention it's at night! The sun won't be out. The string lighting along the course puts a unique and different mood to the race. As you round some of the corners, you get a glimpse of the lighting up ahead and at different parts of the course. How many races have that? There's a lot of areas for spectators to watch and cheer so it can be loud at times. But the far end of the course is quiet. And being nighttime, it's a place you might start to feel alone... where the course makes you want to slow down... where you give in to the hurt.... Or maybe it's just the spot where you come into your own and let your training take over and take the challenge this course dishes out. Some days this course can get the best of you and some days you can get the best of it. What'll it be this year?
Last year, Jackson Martin of Creek Wood High won the race in 15:49 that opened him up for a series of wins that propelled him all the way to win the State Championship. Kaleb Smith was runner up and with Jackson graduating, could open this up for a much-coveted win for this Christian Brothers athlete. Out of the top ten finishing boys in the 2020 Horton, six of them were seniors and won't be back this year. That leaves Houston's Hays Adams (3rd last season here but questionable on whether running or soccer will be his sport this fall), Bartlett's Dante Torres (9th) and Camden Central's Ridge Bruce all seniors and could be pushing Kaleb for the win. We'll do a more detailed preview the closer we get to the meet but be assured that this nighttime race is going to be another tough race to capture.
Not to be overshadowed by the guys, the girls race last year showcased Abby Faith Cheeseman who ran a blistering 17:04.50 to dominate the race. St. George's Lauren Rutlin, a speedster by all definitions, was pretty far back but still had a super time of 18:07.10. And rounding out the top three was Knoxville Ambassador's Savannah Rivera in 18:15.70. Trying to match that race this season might be difficult to accomplish. But then again, this is The Horton... it brings out the best in these athletes!
From Elementary and Middle school athletes to high school
and athletes from around the running community, this weekend of nighttime
racing is both challenging and a lot of fun!
See you at the Horton! Coach Ted