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Lungs burning. Legs aching. Mud flying. Heart racing. On December 7th, more than 400 of the top male and female high-school distance runners in the country traveled to Portland, Ore. for the premier cross country meet in the United States: Nike Cross Nationals.
Four talented sport creatives — photographers Don Smalls III, Jordin De La Rosa and Robby Zacharias and curator Connor Surdi — were given unprecedented access on race day to capture the unfiltered emotion of cross country racing. Many of their photographs offer a first look at the sport's next elite pros, who will be competing for future national records, international titles and gold medals.
Cheering on the racers were many of running's brightest stars, some of whom competed in NXN themselves. "NXN is bigger than one race," says Cole Hocker, Nike athlete and the 2024 gold medalist in the men's 1,500m. "When I ran it, NXN opened my eyes to what was possible for me in the sport. Six years later, on the pro side, I can see how transformative the experience is for young runners. It teaches them to dream big and see their full potential. That's why it's so exciting to be here supporting them."
"NXN opened my eyes to what was possible for me in the sport. Six years later, on the pro side, I can see how transformative the experience is for young runners. It teaches them to dream big and see their full potential."
Cole Hocker, Nike athlete and 1,500m gold medalist
Photo credit: Don Smalls III
On December 7th, weather conditions were creating a trademark winter morning in Portland, Ore.: Temperatures were in the low to mid-40s, set in an overcast sky with constant rain flurries. The grounds of Glendoveer Golf Course became a mud pit overnight. But if you're a serious cross country runner, you take a kind of masochistic pleasure when the conditions are stacked against you.
The hundreds of runners, made of individual and club qualifiers from eight regional championships across the U.S., shook out their morning legs in their warmups, logging an easy mile or two across the grounds, the fog lifting.
Soon, it was time to race. They toed the starting line. The gun sounded. The pack was off and running.