words_Nick Engvall

Hundreds of cross country runners from around the country headed to Nike’s campus in Beaverton, Oregon this past weekend to participate in the 7th annual Nike Cross Nationals put on by Nike and Eastbay. Teams and individuals compete in qualifying events across the country to earn their right to compete at one of the country’s top annual cross country events.

Weather helped turn the course into a muddy mess but that didn’t stop some of the country’s top athletes. For the 5th straight year in the girls competition, Manlius XC Club from Manlius, New York came out as top of the team. As for the team competition for the guys side, Arcadia XC Club from Arcadia, California grabbed the top spot. In the individual competition Rachel Johnson (18:18.6) from Plano, Texas won the girls title and Lukas Verzbicas from Orland Park, Illinois won the boys title with a final time of 15:59.2.

Along with the event, Nike and Eastbay had plenty to do for attendees. From capturing memories in the photo booth, to customizing their own unique pair of Nike running shoes, the upcoming Lunar Elite 2+ to be exact.

Check out some of the images from this year’s event below.