Most nights of the year, the Shelby Farms cross country course is covered in darkness and deafeningly silent.
But on Friday and Saturday night, the course was illuminated and packed to the brim as one of the biggest cross country meets in the country, the 36th annual Frank Horton Classic, took place.
Ever since the 30th Frank Horton Classic, the event has been raced at night under the lights, a rarity in cross country racing. With this unique alteration and elite competition from throughout the southeastern states, this meet is the marquee event for Memphis cross country.
The Frank Horton Classic began in 1989, as a way to honor the titular legendary Christian Brothers High School (CBHS) cross country coach, who passed away from ALS 10 days after the first ever Frank Horton Classic.
Horton was a titan of the Memphis running community, winning 6 regional titles and a state title at CBHS. Outside of high school cross country, he was a key contributor to the founding of the Memphis marathon, which is now the St. Jude Marathon Weekend.
The slogan of the meet, “Accept the Challenge,” was Horton’s favorite phrase to help motivate his runners.
In addition to honoring Horton, all proceeds from the meet go to Memphis Youth Athletics (MYA), a non-profit organization that holds local cross country and track meets for elementary, middle, and high schoolers, as well as a summer program that serves to introduce children of Memphis to a lifestyle of healthy habits.
When the meet first went to a night-time format in 2018, they also added the elementary and middle school sections on Friday as a result of the formation of MYA, which has been an incredible success.
“Friday night gets me emotional, seeing the amount of kids we have out there,” said Race Director Kelley Grusin, who has worked for MYA for years while having a full-time engineering job at Smith and Nephew.
The festivities began on Friday night with a 2-kilometer and 5-kilometer race for those not competing for a team, then finished with elementary and middle school races of 2 kilometers. The numbers were staggering, with over 1,000 elementary and middle schoolers competing on that night.
“Saturday night though, is the marquee night of the meet and when it is the most fun for me," said Grusin.
This year, the best high schools in the Memphis area were joined by schools from Middle and East Tennessee, as well as Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, and Kansas in what was the most competitive year yet. Cross country outlets Milesplit and RunnerSpace were both there to cover and livestream the meet for a national audience.
On the women’s side, local powerhouse Houston High School won the meet for the fourth year in a row, eking out a win over Independence High School.
On the men’s side, the course record was smashed by over 20 seconds with a 14:50 performance from Independence High School junior Asher Oates, who led his team to a second-place finish behind Missouri’s West Plains High School.
Much like Christmas morning, after all the buildup and excitement, it all ends seemingly as quickly as it started.
The countless workers and volunteers who work to put this meet on sit under a tent, enjoying food and drinks, and most notably, the relief and satisfaction of another successful year.
One by one, the lights on the course turn off, and the darkness and silence reclaims the night at the Shelby Farms cross country course until the next iteration of the Frank Horton Classic.
