LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course facts for kids
| Address | 599 South Tabortown Street Terre Haute, Indiana United States |
|---|---|
| Acreage | 250 |
| Tenants | |
| Indiana State Sycamores Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers |
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The LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course is a special place for runners in Terre Haute, Indiana. It opened on October 17, 1997. This course is one of the few in the world built just for cross-country races.
It's part of a bigger area called the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. This center covers about 240 acres (or 0.97 square kilometers). The course itself was built on land that used to be a coal mine. It has a main loop that is 3 kilometers long, plus other smaller loops. These loops allow for races of many different lengths. The cross-country team from Indiana State University uses this course for their home races.
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What Makes This Course Special?
The LaVern Gibson Course is unique because it was designed specifically for cross-country running. Most cross-country races happen on regular parks or fields. This course, however, was carefully planned to be perfect for the sport.
A Course Built for Runners
The course has different paths and loops. This means race organizers can create courses of various distances. It's a great place for runners to test their speed and endurance. The land was once a coal mine, but it was transformed into this amazing sports facility.
Hosting Big Races
Even though it hasn't been around for a super long time, the LaVern Gibson Course has hosted many important championship races. It's known as a top spot for cross-country events in the Midwest.
College Championships
The course has hosted several big college events. These include the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Regional races in 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2003. It also hosted the Division III Regional races in 2009 and 2012.
The biggest college events held here are the Men's and Women's NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. These happened in 2002, 2004-2011, 2013-2014, 2016, and 2019. The course also hosted the Men's and Women's NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in 2012 and 2024.
High School and Other Events
Since 2004, the LaVern Gibson Course has also been the home of the state high school championship meet for Indiana. In 2009, it hosted the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Midwest Regional Meet. Many other invitational and conference championship meets for all age groups have also taken place here. From middle school to college, this course is a major symbol for cross-country running in the Midwest.
Course Records
Course records are the fastest times ever run on a specific course. Here are some of the top times achieved at the LaVern Gibson Course.
| Race | Runner | School | Time | Race | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Course Records | |||||
| Women's 6k | Sally Kipyego | Texas Tech | 19:28.1 | 2008 NCAA Championship | 11/25/2008 |
| Women's 6k (old course) | Joanna Nilsson | Northern Arizona | 19:33.9 | 2005 NCAA Championship | 11/21/2005 |
| Men's 8k | Sam Chelanga | Liberty | 22:51.3 | 2008 Brooks Pre-Nationals White Race | 10/18/2008 |
| Men's 10k | Sam Chelanga | Liberty | 28:41.2 | 2009 NCAA Championship | 11/23/2009 |
| High School Course Records | |||||
| Girls 5k | Zofia Dudek | Pioneer High School (MI) | 16:49.3 | 2019 Nike XC Nationals Midwest Regional | 11/16/2019 |
| Girls 4k (old course) | Alexandra Banfich | Culver Girls Academy (IN) | 14:05.1 | 2005 Indiana HS State Championship | 10/29/2005 |
| Boys 5k | Hunter Jones | Benzie Central High School (Benzonia, MI) | 14:21.8 | 2022 Nike Cross Nationals Midwest Regionals | 11/13/2022 |
