High School Cross Country Competitions to Return to Trenton’s Cadwalader Park

Trenton, N.J. - For the first time in 25 years, the City of Trenton's Cadwalader Park will host high school cross-country running competitions. Two "batch meet" races of the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) will come to the park on September 4 and September 10.

A conference of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), the CVC is composed of 15 high schools in the Trenton-Mercer County region. Thirteen of the high schools are public, including Trenton Central High School. Cadwalader Park is one of six CVC racing venues designated for 2024, and the only one designated in Trenton. Recent work to design and build a cross-country course at Cadwalader Park, with soft surfaces and two 5K race layouts, makes it possible for the city to host interscholastic running again.

The new course, a collaboration between the Trenton Department of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture, the Trenton Central High School Athletic Department, and the Cadwalader Park Alliance, replaces a previous one that fell into disuse some years ago. Cadwalader Park has a long history of cross country dating to the 1900s. High school running started in the 1920s when the NJSIAA initiated races on-site. In 1963, the park hosted Mercer County's Inaugural Cross Country Championship, which was co-organized by the Trenton Central High School Athletic Department. Cadwalader Park's last high school race was in 1999.

"I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making this possible- our Department of Recreation, Trenton Central High School Athletic Department, the Cadwalader Park Alliance, the Trenton Track Club and all of our partners," said Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora. "Cadwalader Park has always been a cornerstone of Trenton's community and history, and it's exciting to see it return to its roots as a hub for high school cross-country competitions. This initiative not only honors our past, but also energizes our present and future by bringing new life and opportunities to our city's youth."

Returning cross country to Cadwalader Park creates new long-distance running opportunities in the City of Trenton, and strengthens existing running programs in the city and beyond.

Trenton Central High School, Hopewell Valley Central High School, and West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North are scheduled to compete on September 4. Trenton High, Allentown High School, Ewing High School, and Notre Dame will compete on September 10.

The opening September 4 race will also be hosted by the Trenton Cross Country team, which has led efforts to design and build Cadwalader Park's new course. Trenton will compete, but not host, on September 10.

Getting the races up and running was a team effort involving the City of Trenton, the CVC, and the Trenton Central High School Athletic Department. Additional assistance was provided by the Capital District Track and Field Officials, the Cadwalader Park Alliance, Girls on the Run of New Jersey East, the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North Athletic Department, the Mercer County Track & Field Hall of Fame, the Trenton Track Club, and the Trentoniana Room at the Trenton Free Public Library.

Both the September 4 and September 10 races will start and finish at Cadwalader Park's Gully Field, near the corner of Cadwalader Drive and Stuyvesant Avenue from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the first race starting at 4 p.m. (girls first on Sept. 4, boys first on Sept. 10). A makeup of October 1 is planned for any rain dates or cancellations.

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