New Cross Country Course Planned, Will Be Adjacent to Current Location
3/12/2018 11:32:00 AM | Cross Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2018
Bloomington, Indiana – There will soon be a new home for Indiana University Cross Country.
That home, though, will be at a familiar location.
Indiana University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced plans today to build a new Indiana University Cross Country course. The new layout will be located in the same vicinity as the current course and will occupy a portion of the current course's land while also extending to the northeast of the present location.
Indiana University Athletics and Cross Country representatives have worked with IU's landscape architects and consultants to establish plans for the new layout, which is necessary due to the impending construction of Indiana University Health's new Regional Academic Health Center along the 45/46 bypass.
"Indiana University's Cross Country course has hosted both NCAA and Big Ten Championships and is considered one of the best in the nation," Glass said. "We worked very hard throughout this process to make sure that is still the case. Our new course will be at a level that will continue to attract those type of events and other elite competitions."
Ensuring that IU continues to have a cross country facility of that caliber is a goal shared by IU Cross Country Coach Ron Helmer.
"While we will all miss the old course and the history that it represents, with the change comes an opportunity to construct a course that is new and exciting on adjacent land," Helmer said. "Plans call for 3K, 2K and 1K loops that can be configured to host races of all standard cross country distances. I am very excited at the possibilities this new course brings to our cross country teams and our ability to continue to be a cross country championship hub in the Midwest."
Indiana University has hosted four NCAA Cross Country Championship events, including in 1992 when legendary Hoosier Bob Kennedy won his second NCAA Cross Country championship, this time on his home course. Like Helmer, Kennedy sees the change as an opportunity.
"There's a lot of history on that course for Indiana Cross Country," Kennedy said. "My dad ran there in the 1960s, and I ran on a slightly different layout there in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But change is not a bad thing. I see it as an opportunity to make an even better course for both athletes and fans."
March 12, 2018
Bloomington, Indiana – There will soon be a new home for Indiana University Cross Country.
That home, though, will be at a familiar location.
Indiana University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced plans today to build a new Indiana University Cross Country course. The new layout will be located in the same vicinity as the current course and will occupy a portion of the current course's land while also extending to the northeast of the present location.
Indiana University Athletics and Cross Country representatives have worked with IU's landscape architects and consultants to establish plans for the new layout, which is necessary due to the impending construction of Indiana University Health's new Regional Academic Health Center along the 45/46 bypass.
"Indiana University's Cross Country course has hosted both NCAA and Big Ten Championships and is considered one of the best in the nation," Glass said. "We worked very hard throughout this process to make sure that is still the case. Our new course will be at a level that will continue to attract those type of events and other elite competitions."
Ensuring that IU continues to have a cross country facility of that caliber is a goal shared by IU Cross Country Coach Ron Helmer.
"While we will all miss the old course and the history that it represents, with the change comes an opportunity to construct a course that is new and exciting on adjacent land," Helmer said. "Plans call for 3K, 2K and 1K loops that can be configured to host races of all standard cross country distances. I am very excited at the possibilities this new course brings to our cross country teams and our ability to continue to be a cross country championship hub in the Midwest."
Indiana University has hosted four NCAA Cross Country Championship events, including in 1992 when legendary Hoosier Bob Kennedy won his second NCAA Cross Country championship, this time on his home course. Like Helmer, Kennedy sees the change as an opportunity.
"There's a lot of history on that course for Indiana Cross Country," Kennedy said. "My dad ran there in the 1960s, and I ran on a slightly different layout there in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But change is not a bad thing. I see it as an opportunity to make an even better course for both athletes and fans."
FB: Fernando Mendoza & Elijah Sarratt - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Sunday, September 28
FB: Pat Coogan - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Sunday, September 28
FB: Aiden Fisher - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
Sunday, September 28
FB: Week 5 (at Iowa) - Curt Cignetti Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, September 28