If you have never ran at Walsh Park in Fremont, Ohio consider yourself lucky. Home of the infamous "butt buster" hill, the course is not one that you compete on to set a personal record.
Held at the beginning of every year, the invite is named after longtime area coach Norm Bray who guided pupils for decades. The course is one old school coaches love, because it's all about competition and grit -- not pacing and record board chasing.
When the starting gun goes off you have just over 100 meters to establish position before making a hard left down a wooded path, conveniently down hill. Then you reach the clearing that is the flatlands until you come up on a small but brutal incline that leads runners to the top of the ridge overlooking the Sandusky River. Competitors must then run the length of park on the ridgeline where they see the "butt buster" grow ever nearer and more daunting with each passing step. Finally, at the base of the hill, runners must trudge up with all their might on a path too steep for even grass to grow. When victory and fulfillment fills the thoughts of each runner, you realize you have to do all of it over again.
Is it the hardest course in Ohio? Most runners who have raced on it would probably say yes!
Girls Preview
Perennial state powerhouse Perrysburg is making the trip down US Route 20 to compete this year. The Yellow Jackets are the defending league champions in the NLL-Buckeye Division. Host school Fremont Ross returns their entire top five from a year ago, including the top returning finisher from last year, Lily Kiser, who was third at the invite last season. Defending invite champions Bowling Green bring back their entire top five as well. Other teams to look out for are last year's runners-up and third place teams Findlay and Rocky River Magnificat.
Boys Preview
Last year's state runner-up Perrysburg is making its way to the Norm Bray Invite this season. The Yellow Jackets lost a lot seniors to graduation but feature a team of over five dozen runners, so depth shouldn't be an issue. Not to be outdone, the Bowling Green Bobcats were also runners-up last season (D2) and will provide ample competition as they lost only three of their top seven runners to graduation. Defending champion Camden Stechschulte is back for Findlay -- he took the victory last season by five seconds over Bowling Green's Sam Wiles. Wiles would go on to win NLL-Cardinal Division title. Host team Fremont Ross brings in a group of experienced upperclassmen as they look to defend their home course.
Teams Competing: