MIDDLE SCHOOL
MEET INFORMATION
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026
Welcome to the 2026 Maryland XC Invitational presented by Brooks!
MDXC was built with one purpose - to give runners of all abilities the best cross country experience possible.
DATE
Friday, October 9, 2026
LOCATION
Shawan Downs
1401 Shawan Road
Cockeysville, MD 21030
MEET DIVISIONS
All entries should be submitted on the Athletic.net registration page.
SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP
The MDXC MS Championship is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade athletes competing as a member of a school-sanctioned team. Each school may enter as many athletes as they would like in the championship races. One Boys and one Girls race will be run.
OPEN
The Open division is designated for any athlete NOT participating as a member of an organized school team, and is open to 5th-8th graders. Boys and girls with compete together in one race, but results will be separated by gender.
ADDITIONAL ENTRY INFORMATION
School Championship Meet entries are limited to 40 total teams. Entry is not confirmed until payment is received, and confirmations come in the order in which payment is received.
The deadline to submit your final team roster for the School Championship Division is Monday, October 5th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. New athletes cannot be entered into the School Championship meet after the deadline.
The deadline to enter the open race is Thursday, October 8th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.
The Meet Director reserves the right to move varsity teams between divisions in order to achieve competitive balance and a full race for both divisions as needed. Any adjustments made will be communicated directly to affected coaches via email on Monday, October 5th after entries have closed.
ENTRY FEES
Team Entries: $250.00 for 1 gender, $350.00 for both genders
Individual Entries: $30 per athlete for Open athletes, or schools entering 4 or fewer athletes
Entries will close Monday, October 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM. Entry fees are payable through Athletic.net or by check (payable to Charm City Run Events and sent to Charm City Run Events, 117 Church Lane, Cockeysville, MD 21030). Entry is not confirmed until payment is received, and status on Athletic.net is listed as CONFIRMED.
Entries can be updated at any point until the deadline on October 5th.
ENTERING ATHLETES & PAYING THE ENTRY FEE
Many schools need an invoice for the entry fee in order for bookkeepers to process a check for payment. You can enter athletes and generate an invoice by doing the following:
Head to the Athletic.net registration page
Submit your roster by selecting the athletes you will enter into the meet. NOTE: You can edit your entries up until the deadline of October 5th at 9:00 AM with no penalty, so the athletes you enter initially do not need to make up your “final” team roster. In order to generate an accurate invoice you should enter the approximate number of athletes that you plan on running on race day (i.e. if you plan on bringing a full team you should enter a full team, and likewise if you only plan to run a few individuals).
After you submit your entries, Athletic.net will generate an invoice (based on the “Entry Fees” breakdown above) that can be downloaded and forwarded to your Athletic Director for approval and payment. You also have the option to pay the entry fee by credit card.
Entry into the meet is not complete until payment is received, and the first 40 teams to submit payment are the teams that will be confirmed. This meet will reach capacity, so we recommend submitting payment as early as possible to reserve your team’s spot.
See the “Entry Fees” section above for details on where to send check payments.
RACE DAY SCHEDULE
1:00 PM - Onsite Parking Opens
1:30 PM - Bib Pickup Opens (Finish Line Stewards Stand)
2:30 PM - School Championship Coaches Meeting (Finish Line Stewards Stand)
3:00 PM - School Championship Boys Race
3:30 PM - School Championship Girls Race
4:00 PM - School Championship Awards Ceremony
4:30 PM - Open Race (Boys & Girls Combined)
5:00 PM - Open Race Awards
*Schedule subject to change
VENUE
The Shawan Downs property is a race venue unlike any other. Please take note of critical areas including race medical, bus loading/unloading, and the team area.
COURSE
The 2-Mile Middle School course at Shawan Downs was designed to create a true championship experience. A wide starting line and 1/3 mile straightaway transitions to a consistent 5m wide path lined on both sides traversing the property. With no loops or crossing points each race can begin on time and give each athlete the true cross country experience. The races finishes with a 1/4 mile long straightaway, crossing the line at the George Brown Jr. Stewards’ Stand. The natural landscape allows for hilltop views of the start and finish areas for spectators.
TEAM AREA
Each school will have a designated space in the team area marked by a sign with the school name on it. This area, along with the space inside the race track, is for athletes, training staff, and coaches only. Please find your space on race day and feel free to set up tents and any other equipment you may have.
Open athletes and their parents should stage in the spectator area prior to race time, but are welcome to head to the team area when they are ready to race.
Athlete restrooms will be available just inside the track near the team area.
Please ensure that all trash has been picked up from your team area before you depart. Teams that leave trash behind will not be invited back.
BUS INSTRUCTIONS/PARKING
Schools arriving to the meet by bus will follow the path below, entering at the main Shawan Downs entrance and proceeding to the grass parking area near the team are. In case of wet weather, an alternative plan may be used.
If you are driving separately to the meet you will be able to park onsite near the team area. Please enter the property at the “East” entrance (Map Here) and let our staff know you are a coach, and you will be directed to the parking area. This parking is for official coaches only - please do not advise any parents/spectators to park here as they will be redirected to offsite Spectator Parking.
AWARDS
Awards will given as follows:
Top 20 Individual Boys & Girls Finishers (School Championship Races)
Top 3 Boys & Girls Teams (School Championship Races)
Top 20 Individual Boys & Girls Finishers (Open Race)
MEDICAL SUPPORT
MedStar Health, the premier medical team in Baltimore, will be onsite to provide medical support for runners. A private EMT service will also be onsite for the duration of the event. As always, in the event of a serious or life-threatening injury/accident please call 911 immediately and then notify meet staff as soon as possible.
Please advise any athletes with specific allergies, asthma, or other health conditions to bring any medicines they may need to the meet in case treatment is needed.
RUNNER RELEASE FORM
The property at Shawan Downs is privately owned, and not a public venue that typically hosts public events. As such, the owners require all participants to complete a waiver in order to participate. The form can be filled out online, or downloaded below and given to a coach prior to the meet to be turned in at bib pickup. If you have any questions please email the Meet Director Will Murdoch at will@charmcityrun.com.