Welcome to the webpage for The 25th Annual Cross Country Cherokee Challenge!

This unusual meet, sponsored by Cherokee High School, Asics, RunningWorks and The Running Company of South Jersey, with its shorter racing distances, class scoring, and unique coed team scoring, provides a great, low-key opportunity for runners to begin the competitive season, and we hope you "take the Challenge" this year!

Last year, 2019, the weather was perfect, sunny and relatively cool; the course was dry and firm; and the racing was great! There weren't any new course records but, as in the past, over 100 teams from three states brought almost 3,000 athletes to finish the course! In addition, the results were published in record time with the use of chip-timing: within a few minutes after the completion of each race, the results were available on-site and on the Internet!

Congratulations to the Boys CC team from the Ocean City High School of New Jersey, and to the Girls CC team from Summit High School of New Jersey, on winning the team championships at the 2019 Cherokee Challenge! It was the fourth time for the Ocean City team and the first time for the Summit team! GO REDBIRDS! GO HILLTOPPERS! Also, congratulations to the combined Girls and Boys squads from Summit High School on winning the Co-Ed Championship! GO HILLTOPPERS!

In addition, congratulations to Red Bank Catholic High School's Senior Maddy Kopec who clocked 11:34, the "Fastest Time of the Day" among the girls, and to West Windsor-Plainsboro North Senior Luke Johnson who crossed the finish line in 9:34 and clocked the "Fastest Time of the Day" among the boys!

For years now, the NJ.MileSplit Network, has reported directly from the meet! Robert Kellert, the senior editor, was at Cherokee again last year, reporting the action directly from the finish line, and all of his work, including the results, videos, interviews and thousands of pictures from the meet since 2004, can be found at: NJ.MileSplit!

We hope your team "took the Challenge" in 2019 and was part of the best cross country meet in New Jersey; and we look forward to seeing you again at our special 25th Anniversary Cherokee Challenge!