Holmdel Park course tour, filmed in 2019 on the same layout used today.
The Brooks XC Northeast Championship has found a new home, and on November 21st, 2026, the meet will toe the line at historic Holmdel Park in Holmdel, NJ. The Northeast Region Championship has been hosted in Boston the past three seasons.
The top ten finishers in the Marty Lewis Championship boys race and Phil Zodda Championship girls race will qualify for the Brooks XC Championship at Balboa Park in San Diego, California.
Athletes from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and U.S. citizens in Overseas Military Installations are allowed to compete at this region championship.
Holmdel Park is a well-balanced course that rewards speed, discipline, and strength. Athletes will experience the "roller coasters" of the first mile, the infamous "Bowl" climb at the midway, and speed through the final wooded descent before popping out of the woods in front of a roaring crowd to the finish line.
The 5K layout's terrain includes grass, dirt, rocky areas, groomed pathways, and occasional wooden steps that prevent trails from washing out.
Park's Long Running History
The park has been utilized for cross country meets since 1972, and the current 5K layout has been in place since 1979. The current all-time boys 5K record is set at 14:53 by Edward Cheserek, who won the Shore Coaches Invitational in 2011. The girls record is held by Katelyn Tuohy thanks to her 16:21 victory at Shore Coaches in 2018.
The Shore Coaches Invitational has been held there since 1979 and sees most of New Jersey's cross country squads as well as out-of-state teams compete every year. Every girls' NJSIAA Meet of Champions race has been held there since the event started in 1972; the boys' Meet of Champions has been hosted there since 1976.
All-Time Top 10 At Holmdel Park
Holmdel Park Course Map
Check out some race footage from around the course, featuring an epic battle from the 2025 NJSIAA Meet of Champions between Leah Starkey and Paige Sheppard.
