Some Courses Survive the Bulldozers . . . So Far
Very few Orange County cross-country courses have survived the development boom. It seems every great course of the past is an apartment complex of the present--or future.
Here are a few of the best that have survived so far:
Irvine Park in Orange--Although much of the course is run on paved bike paths, oaks and grassy areas lend an autumn flavor to the park, site of the Orange County Cross-Country Championships.
The course is basically flat and fast--there’s only one major dirt hill--but it offers what most other sites do not--a beautiful location. Spectators can watch the runners from several viewpoints.
El Modena High School has used the park for 23 years.
Canyon High School--This is probably the best on-campus course in the county. Behind the campus, the course has several climbs, both long and gradual and short and steep, all on dirt trails.
The course also has done what many courses could not--survived progress. A library was built on the course a few years ago, but, with a few minor adjustments, the course has kept its shape and character.
Corona del Mar’s (New) Back Bay--After having their last course bulldozed, the Sea Kings found a better site on the other side of Back Bay. It has just about everything a beach-area course could ask for: narrow dirt trails, tree-lined paths, a duck pond and one killer hill (where some runners become walkers).
It’s also a good spectator course in a scenic natural setting. The course is in the middle of a bird sanctuary (watch for Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets), overpopulated with rabbits.
Huntington Beach Central Park--One of the most heavily used spots in Orange County, the park’s westernmost section is home to Ocean View, Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley high schools and Orange Coast and Golden West colleges.
It’s also home to a number of invitational meets and often the Sunset League championship. Grass, dirt trails, bike trails, steep hills, horse stables, a lake, a disc golf course--it’s all here in one of the county’s more diverse courses.
Eisenhower Park in Orange--Home of Villa Park’s cross-country team. A fair course with one fun quirk. After several loops, the course runs up a hill, past a lake, up a hill, past a grassy knoll, and whoa! . . . There’s a drop of about 3 feet, forcing runners to leap from one grassy knoll to another grassy spot below. Real cross-country.
The rest of the course isn’t as funky, but a challenge nevertheless. It’s grassy or paved bike trails and most is up or downhill. Forget fast times here.
Craig Park in Brea--Another course in the Eisenhower Park mode--a little grass and a lot of paved bike trails. However, the park is much bigger. A number of undulating hills turn a runner’s legs to jelly pretty quickly with all the ups and downs.
“It’s absolutely cruel,” Western Coach Ron Butterfield said. “My kids call it the ultimate torture.”
O’Neill Regional Park--The latest home of El Toro’s cross-country team, this course utilizes some of the county’s best natural areas. The course offers several hills, one on a paved road, the others along a dirt road. There’s a steep, narrow dirt trail that winds down toward the finish--a source of joy for some, fear for others.
Fullerton Oil Fields--OK, so it’s not the classic cross-country environment. But give Fullerton High School credit for coming up with a creative solution to its cramped surroundings. The oil field has lots of hills. The weather usually is hot hot hot, which, coupled with the oil-rich terrain provides for a stinky, sometimes sticky experience.
