Spotlights to shine on runners
Published 11:30 pm Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Tomahawk Twilight Invitational is back, and this time it’s bigger and brighter.
Following its successful debut a year ago, the Twilight Invite — a unique high school boys and girls cross country event — is expected to attract roughly twice as many runners as the inaugural version.
The eight-race invite is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Saturday at Cedarcrest Golf Course in Marysville. Organizers will illuminate the course with 20 large light towers, 10 more than they used last year.
The races give runners the rare opportunity to compete in the evening. Most cross country invites take place in the morning or afternoon.
Around 1,500 runners from more than 40 schools are expected to compete on the 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course, said the event’s organizer, Marysville-Pilchuck High School cross country coach Randall Edens. The local schools participating include Archbishop Murphy, Cascade, Edmonds-Woodway, Everett, Glacier Peak, Jackson, Kamiak, Lakewood and Marysville-Pilchuck.
The field also includes five teams from Oregon and one from Canada. Even a team from Japan inquired about traveling to Marysville for the invite but was ultimately unable to make it, Edens said.
“It’s really taken off. We’ll have to see how this goes because we’ve grown quite a bit,” Edens said.
Tickets for the invite are $4 for adults, $2 for students and $10 for families of four or more. The top-flight varsity boys and varsity girls races start at 7:25 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively. The award ceremony is scheduled for 9 p.m.
Like last year, organizers will sell commemorative glow-in-the-dark T-shirts. The popular shirts help promote an event that Edens hopes will continue to expand and create opportunities for more runners in years to come.
“Ultimately, if this thing is very successful,” Edens said, “maybe we could attract a shoe company to take it on and be a feature sponsor.”
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
