Meet Information
Get ready for the 2nd annual running of the HAM CITY HUSTLE INVITATIONAL on Saturday, September 21st, 2024! We moved the date back a couple weeks from last year, after receiving feedback from coaches. Our races will be held at one of the most rustic and scenic parks in all Southeastern VA, beautiful Windsor Castle Park, 705 Cedar St, Smithfield, VA 23430.
This early invitational will serve as a great Rust-Buster for your teams! We'll have an A Race and a B/JV Race each for Boys and Girls on our beautiful, fun 5000m Course, which has hosted the 4A Regional Championship Meet for the past 5 years. The A Races will be limited to 10 runners per team per gender and the B Races will allow unlimited runners and serve as our JV Races, with 8th graders allowed (No 7th grade or lower). After a very successful inaugural event last year and due to venue location and the history of other races held on this course, WE ANTICIPATE HIGH REGISTRATION, SO DO NOT DELAY!
SCHEDULE:
Wed 9/18, 11:59pm - Registration Closes
Sat 9/21 Schedule:
7:15am - Bus Parking Lot Opens
7:30am - Course Open for warm-up and preview until 8:45am.
8:00-8:30am - Team Check-in/Packet Pickup/Course Maps - In main field adjacent to Finish Line
8:30am - Coaches Meeting - In main field near Check-in
9:00am - Girls A/Varsity Race
(Limited to 10 runners per team, no 8th graders allowed)
9:30am - Boys A/Varsity Race
(Limited to 10 runners per team, no 8th graders allowed)
10:00am - Girls B/JV Race (No limits on # of runners and 8th graders are allowed)
10:40am - Boys B/JV Race (No limits on # of runners and 8th graders are allowed)
11:30am - Awards for all 4 races
TIMING SERVICES:
Provided by Atlantic Coast Timing Systems and will be VHSL and neighboring-states Sanctioned. All Races will be Chip-Timed with results posted quickly.
COURSE: This is a true XC Course with a combination of grass, gravel and hard-packed cinder & clay. The course will be very clearly marked. It has several modest hills to negotiate and three wooden bridges, two short and one of which is fairly long (approx 100m). Overall, it's a really fun course to run with wonderful scenery throughout. While it's definitely not flat, it is easy-to-moderate in difficulty level with some gradual rises of a couple to a few hundred meters each and a handful of small rollers throughout. It has three short (20-foot wide) road crossings (volunteers and road closure signage will be placed there). This 5000m course is spike-friendly and has a VERY WIDE OPEN START AND FINISH WITH EXCELLENT SPECTATOR VIEWS. At a few of its narrowest points in the woods, runners will be limited to 3-wide. We'll have the 1 and 2 mile points clearly marked, with numerous volunteers placed throughout the course.
TRAINER: A Certified Athletic Trainer will be on-site. A Recovery Station with water will be available for runners pre-and post-race near the Finish Line, but water will not be available for filling team coolers.
AWARDS: Medals awarded to the Top 10 individuals in each race. The Champion and Runner-up Teams in the A Races will receive a Custom Trophy commemorating the accomplishments in this sizzling Ham/Bacon/BBQ
Themed Event! Awards will take place at approximately 11:30am.
REGISTRATION FEES: $10 per runner, or maximum registration fee across all 4 races of $275, which includes unlimited entries for B Races. This is a REGISTRATION FEE NOT A PARTICIPATION FEE and will not be reduced if there are registered runners who DNS on race day. In the event of a weather cancellation, at the sole discretion of the host School District, a reschedule opportunity or refund will be available. Checks may be made out to Smithfield High School with "CROSS COUNTRY" in the Memo and mailed to 14171 Turner Drive, Smithfield, VA 23430, Attn: M. Lanzalotto .If you need a W9, please email mlanzalo@iwcs.k12.va.us with Subject Line: "W9 Needed". REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE at 11:59pm on Wednesday, September 18th. Checks brought on event day will be collected at Check-in. LATE FEE OF $25 if the check is not received by the day of the meet (without pre-meet approval).
SPECTATOR FEES: There is no fee for spectators for this event.
CONCESSIONS: Near Check-in, w/sports drinks, waters & various protein bars available.
TEAM CHECK-IN/PACKET PICKUP: Directly across the main field from the Finish Line, adjacent to the Starting Line area starting at 7:30am.
Coaches Hospitality Area will be available from 7:30 until 8:30am near Check-in.
COACHES MEETING: 8:30am in main field between Check-in and the Finish Line
Directions to Windsor Castle Park, 705 Cedar St., Smithfield VA from Highway 17:
Turn onto Hwy 258/32 in Carrollton and drive 2.8 miles to a stoplight and bend in the road to the right, which continues Hwy 258. Continue on 258 into Smithfield and after 2 miles, stay left to continue on 258 Bypass (NOT 258 Business/Church St) for approx. another 2.5 miles to Main St and turn Right. You will see brown park signs on the right side of road from this point on. Follow Main St for .3 miles to Underwood Ln, turn right, and take that 475 feet and turn right onto Cedar St. Follow Cedar for .9 mi to Jericho Rd, and turn left. Continue straight on
Jericho for .4 mi then turn right onto Kayak Lane, where Parking Attendants will guide you to lot entry.
****CRITICAL INFO FOR BUSSES***: If bringing your team via bus, please follow the directions above, via Underwood, then Cedar Avenue, and then onto Jericho, instead of coming onto Jericho Ave directly off S. Church Street, further in town! Your GPS will likely encourage you to take Jericho straight off of S. Church Street, BUT DO NOT DO THAT, as the road is cobblestone and includes a steep incline that Busses have trouble with. The suggested directions above simply enter the park from the other side and are safer for busses.
PLEASE REVIEW YOUR MAP/DIRECTIONS AND/OR SHARE THIS INFO WITH YOUR DRIVER!
***SEE THE ATTACHED SITE AND COURSE MAP FOR BUS AND SPECTATOR PARKING***
ALSO NOTED ON MAP: Tent City Locations, best areas for Spectators and Porta Potty locations. There are no dressing rooms on site and there is water available only at the main parking lot porta potty area. Please pick up all trash upon completion of your final race, before departing and take it with you in large bag provided to you at check-in.
DUE TO RACE COURSE LIMITATIONS, VEHICLE TRAFFIC INTO AND OUT OF THE PARK WILL BE HALTED FOR APPROX 5 MINUTES AS EACH NEW RACE BEGINS.
QUESTIONS? Please reach out to Race Director, Smithfield HS Head Coach Steve Sheppard (steven.sheppard@hotmail.com) or by text 757-676-9696.
