Foot Locker race canceled in wake of COVID-19

Posted by David Smith | Oct 22, 2020 | CORONAVIRUS, Track & Field |

CHINLE

The highly prestigious Foot Locker Cross Country Race, one of the largest races held for the best young runners in the country, was officially canceled on Oct. 2.

The Foot Locker race usually consists of a series of races spread out across the country in different regions that would draw in the best runners from various states. By now, the seasonal races would usually be wrapping up and the qualifiers would be on their way to the Foot Locker Championships, where they would earn national recognition and determine who is the best in the country.

The race is sponsored by different sports apparel companies such as Eastbay and New Balance and has been an annual event since 1978. They put on various races for young athletes, mainly high schoolers, and help them get national attention.

Wings of America is a local group that helps runners from Native communities prepare and participate in the race. The organization began in 1988 with the goals of inspiring Native youth to be leaders and teachers through sports.

According to Dustin Martin, executive director of Wings of America, the cancellation of the Nike Cross Country Regionals was caused largely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously, the risk of congregating large groups of people from across state lines is still too great,” Martin said in a message to the Navajo Times. “I appreciate the humility of the race directors to halt their events during a pandemic. Our desire to race one another shouldn’t put others in danger.”

The Nike Twilight Desert Cross Country race held in Phoenix a few weeks ago was one of the events where runners could qualify for the Footlocker race. However, even then, restrictions were tight, and the reality of possible contamination lingered.

“I understand how heartbreaking it must be for some young runners — especially seniors in high school — to forfeit competition this fall/winter,” Martin said in his message. “Especially for athletes from ‘the Rez,’ regional championships are an exciting opportunity to prove oneself and represent their community on a larger stage.

“For runners just starting their high school career, these races are also a way to test their comfort zones and see if working hard to race the best is really what they want out of running,” he said.

Many athletes from Wings of America participate in such races and are usually a part of the “Wings National Team,” which would race in national championships.

One such team member was Kashon Harrison from Kirtland Central who, in 2018, won the boys’ race at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships West Regional. It was his second time qualifying for Foot Locker Nationals.

Despite the cancellation and the ongoing pandemic, both the Footlocker organizers and Wings of America encourage athletes to keep running. Wings of America’s most recent program, “Social Distancing Distance Club,” is aimed at 5th through 8th graders to encourage them to run while receiving guidance from Wings mentors via phone calls.

“As Natives of the Southwest, the beauty of our ‘backyards’ is reason enough to be active and cover the distance on our feet,” Martin said in his message. “But now it seems more clear than ever to me that our youngest generation must stay active to safeguard their personal wellness. Whether we’re state champs or not, someday we will be knowledge keepers that our culture and communities need.”