When Bellingham Distance Project was developed, it was largely in part due to a mutual love for cross country. It was a way to come together among independent training cycles for track, half marathons, marathons, 50K’s, ultras, trail and road running.  For the last few years, and with the [then] imminent Olympic Trials, cross country took a backseat so that our athletes could try to tackle an OT qualifier and major trail races, leaving the team minimally numbered for competition during the XC season.

For the first time in a couple years we were able to field a team for the 2016 USATF Club XC Regionals, held at Lincoln Park in Seattle, WA, home of the famed Sundodger. The team was comprised of Maria Dalzot, home from a visit to West Virginia, Corrine Malcolm who was the lone US female finisher at the IAU Trail Running Championships in Portugal on October 29 (85K), Courtney Olsen who is currently training for a winter half, Rachel Cundy who is building her base, Kristen Schafer who had a top 7 finish at Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas 1/2 last weekend, Amber Morrison who is 1 week out and tapering for the Seattle Marathon, and Nikki VanderWiele who literally competed in the New York Marathon 2 weeks ago. The magnitude of their varying work, personal, and athletic loads is evident, and another reason why we were so proud to host a full team this year.

BDP took 2nd to Club Northwest in the Open, with 4o points, placing 2nd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 13th and 23rd overall out of a small field of 58 finishers. As always, we are proud of their efforts, and ecstatic that they could come together to remember why it was they fell in love with running in the first place. Looking forward to a full season in the future!

Photos by Tad Davis