FORT WORDEN — As the high school cross country season hits the home stretch, some of the state’s finest runners will come to Fort Worden State Park on Saturday.
Once the site of the state meet in the mid-1980s, the former military base now plays host to the Fort Worden Invitational each October.
This year’s event will include 15 schools from five classifications.
Among the schools attending are Class 2B Naselle; 1As Port Townsend, La Center and Orting; 2As Kingston, Olympic, Port Angeles and Sumner; 3As Auburn-Mountain View, Bainbridge, Liberty of Issaquah and Peninsula; and 4As Ballard, Lake Stevens and Marysville-Pilchuck.
Defending 1A state champions Bereket Piatt of host Port Townsend could be considered the favorite in the varsity boys race.
Although, teammate Habtamu Rubio, last year’s 1A runner-up, is just one of the runners that could give Piatt a push.
Kingston’s Marina Roberts comes into the varsity girls race with two invitational titles under her belt this season.
That included a resounding 42-second victory at the Salt Creek Invitational in September.
This year’s course start/finish is located by the Balloon Hangar on Littlefield Green at Fort Worden. There will be two loops, with the first slightly longer than the second.
The course will have a combination of trails, grass, double-track, and pavement. There are a few short hills on each lap and some fast downhill sections, including going into the finish.
“The trails are in beautiful shape,” race organizer Jon Muellner said, “with a number of good spectating spots at the top of the hill on the first loop and mid-point along the first trail section, as well as the long finish [straightaway].”
The free open race begins at 9:30 a.m. That will be followed by the girls JV race at 10:15 a.m., JV boys at 11 a.m., varsity girls at 11:30 a.m. and varsity boys at noon.
