CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING
AT NEWTOWN BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK

     An exciting new event came to Newtown during the fall of 2004.  Thanks to the persistent and dedicated efforts of CVLHC member Duane Saxton and the Southside High School Booster Club, Cross-country running at Newtown Battlefield State Park was born.

     The park made its debut as a Cross-Country host on September 18, 2004, when Elmira was asked to host the Elmira Cross-Country Invitational.   One month later, the STAC Cross-Country Championships were also held at Newtown.  Over 800 runners from 19 high schools came to the mountain to participate.  It is estimated that over 3,000 people visited the park on that day alone.

     In the fall of 2005, the two events again took place at Newtown, bringing literally thousands of people to the hilltop.
   

Racers wait for the next event to begin.
 

A group of runners begins and swarms past Sullivan's Monument at the 2005 Invitational.
 

Parents and friends cheer runners on as they hit the trails at Newtown,
during the 2005 STAC Championships.

Members of the Chemung Valley Living History Center volunteered at the events,
greeting people as they entered the park, working at the information booth,
and acting as course marshalls to make certain the kids made the right turns on the trails.
Some kids were amazed to find themselves running past a real Indian!