| IMGA XC Summit Challenge | Date: 09-05-26 Venue: IMG Summit 5k Loop - Bradenton, FL |
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MEET INFORMATION
Types of Entrants:
High Schools,
Middle Schools/Junior High/Elementary
Meet Site:
Meet Information
Meet Events: Available View Entered Teams: Available |
MEET CONTACT Name: LaMont Thomas
Phone: 941-2169486 |
Open
Online entries are OPEN until 9/1/26 06:00 PM US/Eastern
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| Existing Users Login to Enter: | New Users: |
Meet Notes:
IMGA XC Summit Challenge Saturday, September 5, 2026 | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL The IMGA XC Summit Challenge returns for its third year, bringing competitive cross country racing to one of the premier athletic facilities in the world. Hosted by IMG Academy on its home cross country course, this early-season meet is designed to provide athletes with a fast, well-organized racing experience. DIVISIONS: The IMGA XC Summit Challenge offers three competitive divisions for both Boys and Girls high school racing: Elite, Varsity, and Junior Varsity (JV). Schools may enter athletes across all three divisions. Elite Division: The Elite division is reserved for programs bringing a legitimate top-end squad. This is a competitive, capped field with only the top 7 teams per gender accepted. Teams must have a minimum of 5 athletes to be eligible for the Elite division, with a maximum of 7 on the starting line. There is no exception to the 5-athlete minimum. One Elite entry per school per gender. Selection is based entirely on your team's Top 5 athlete average 5K time, using times from the 2025 or 2026 cross country season. Before entering Elite, consider the following baseline benchmarks: Boys teams should have a Top 5 average of approximately 16:30 or faster, and Girls teams should have a Top 5 average of approximately 19:45 or faster. If your program does not yet have times near this threshold, we strongly encourage entering the Varsity division instead. Elite spots will be awarded to the 7 fastest qualifying teams per gender. Due to limitations of the Direct Athletics platform, Elite entry requires two steps: register your athletes through Direct Athletics as normal, then complete the Elite Division Submission Form to officially submit your team's times for consideration. https://forms.office.com/r/wx33acQyDd If your Elite bid is not accepted, your top 7 athletes will be moved to Varsity and all remaining athletes will be placed into JV. No athlete will be left without a race. Varsity Division: Open to high school varsity-level competitors. Schools may enter one Varsity squad per gender of up to 7 athletes on the starting line, regardless of whether they also have an Elite entry. The Varsity division is capped at 20 teams per gender. A minimum of 5 athletes is required to be scored in the team standings. Teams that compete with fewer than 5 athletes will still race individually but will not be eligible for team scoring or team awards. Those teams will be placed in mixed boxes on the outer edges of the starting line. This is a first-come, first-served division. Full registration details will be posted when entries open. Junior Varsity Division: Open to all athletes not entered in Elite or Varsity. No athlete cap. Every runner on your roster has a race. How It All Works Together: For programs entering all three divisions, a typical breakdown would be your top 6 or 7 athletes in Elite, athletes 8 through 14 in Varsity, and everyone else in JV. For programs not entering Elite, your top 7 athletes go into Varsity and everyone else goes into JV. Every athlete on your roster has a race. No one sits. Additional meet details, race schedule, and athlete information will be posted as the event approaches on our MEET WEBSITE: https://www.imgacademy.com/events/imga-xc-summit-challenge
IMGA XC Summit Challenge Saturday, September 5, 2026 | IMG Academy | Bradenton, FL The IMGA XC Summit Challenge returns for its third year, bringing competitive cross country racing to one of the premier athletic facilities in the world. Hosted by IMG Academy on its home cross country course, this early-season meet is designed to provide athletes with a fast, well-organized racing experience. DIVISIONS: The IMGA XC Summit Challenge offers three competitive divisions for both Boys and Girls high school racing: Elite, Varsity, and Junior Varsity (JV). Schools may enter athletes across all three divisions. Elite Division: The Elite division is reserved for programs bringing a legitimate top-end squad. This is a competitive, capped field with only the top 7 teams per gender accepted. Teams must have a minimum of 5 athletes to be eligible for the Elite division, with a maximum of 7 on the starting line. There is no exception to the 5-athlete minimum. One Elite entry per school per gender. Selection is based entirely on your team's Top 5 athlete average 5K time, using times from the 2025 or 2026 cross country season. Before entering Elite, consider the following baseline benchmarks: Boys teams should have a Top 5 average of approximately 16:30 or faster, and Girls teams should have a Top 5 average of approximately 19:45 or faster. If your program does not yet have times near this threshold, we strongly encourage entering the Varsity division instead. Elite spots will be awarded to the 7 fastest qualifying teams per gender. Due to limitations of the Direct Athletics platform, Elite entry requires two steps: register your athletes through Direct Athletics as normal, then complete the Elite Division Submission Form to officially submit your team's times for consideration. https://forms.office.com/r/wx33acQyDd If your Elite bid is not accepted, your top 7 athletes will be moved to Varsity and all remaining athletes will be placed into JV. No athlete will be left without a race. Varsity Division: Open to high school varsity-level competitors. Schools may enter one Varsity squad per gender of up to 7 athletes on the starting line, regardless of whether they also have an Elite entry. The Varsity division is capped at 20 teams per gender. A minimum of 5 athletes is required to be scored in the team standings. Teams that compete with fewer than 5 athletes will still race individually but will not be eligible for team scoring or team awards. Those teams will be placed in mixed boxes on the outer edges of the starting line. This is a first-come, first-served division. Full registration details will be posted when entries open. Junior Varsity Division: Open to all athletes not entered in Elite or Varsity. No athlete cap. Every runner on your roster has a race. How It All Works Together: For programs entering all three divisions, a typical breakdown would be your top 6 or 7 athletes in Elite, athletes 8 through 14 in Varsity, and everyone else in JV. For programs not entering Elite, your top 7 athletes go into Varsity and everyone else goes into JV. Every athlete on your roster has a race. No one sits. Additional meet details, race schedule, and athlete information will be posted as the event approaches on our MEET WEBSITE: https://www.imgacademy.com/events/imga-xc-summit-challenge