06/02/2026
We are excited to announce our 2026 Cross Country Invitational and Championship schedule. These are large cross country races that will bring thousands of runners and spectators to the Big Spring High School campus this fall. Here's a run down of what to expect:
September 12 - Dickinson Long/Short: This is a smaller collegiate race that brings about 30 schools to take on the 8k, 6k, and 4k courses.
September 19 - Ben Bloser Bulldog Invitational: This invite is one of the largest cross country invitationals on the East Coast, bringing roughly 3,000 runners and thousands more spectators to see the 8 middle school and high school races.
September 26 - PIAA Foundation Invitational: This race will give runners from all over the state an opportunity to be the first to run the Championship course. This will be the 20th anniversary of the race and will feature 8 races on the 5k course. You can expect nearly 2,000 runners and many spectators at this race.
October 17 - South Central Athletic Conference Championships: The move to a new athletic conference doesn't mean we won't host the championship races. The high stakes, two race conference championships will be sure to be filled with excitement.
October 31 - PIAA District 3 Cross Country Championships: Big Spring will once again host the large six race championships for District 3. Nearly 90 schools will be represented and will compete for their chance to qualify for the State Championship race. You can expect a large crowd.
November 7 - PIAA State Cross Country Championships: After 25 years at Hershey, Big Spring is ready to showcase the best cross country course on the East Coast. The six race championships will bring the state's best to Newville. You can expect thousands of runners and spectators throughout the day.
We're sharing this information now so that our community can prepare for these exciting dates. Business will be booming and traffic around the high school campus will be very busy. Please plan accordingly. As always - we invite you to come out and support our student athletes and enjoy watching some of the best cross country running in the nation.