TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — For cross country runners, Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee is the mecca. Every November for the last decade, high school runners in Florida make the trek to the Capital city to compete for a state title.
Race number one of eight total races begins at 7:30 in the morning, and fans will get a chance to see the most talented high school runners in the state compete for gold. With close to 7,000 people coming to town to either compete or watch, it's an event expected to bring in more than $2.5 million to the city, and it's a great opportunity for Tallahassee to showcase its top-notch facilities.
"The numbers have increased because they've increased additional teams that make it to state, so this will be the largest state meet ever," said Parks and Recreation Director Amanda Heidecker. "This is the tenth year we've hosted it in a row, so we're really excited to see record numbers out here tomorrow. With the facility finally being finished and everyone being able to experience it, obviously last year it was under construction. We've heard rave reviews so far, so we're ready to see everyone out here tomorrow."
There are several athletes from across the Big Bend competing as well, including those from Leon High School. Sophomore Patrick Koon finished with a first-place overall win at regionals, while both the boys and girls teams finished top five.
