Thousands of high school runners were hoping to get a jump start in their athletic career Saturday at the Champs Sports Cross Country Championship.
Student athletes from across the northeast region gathered in Van Cortlandt Park to take part in one of four regional 5K races held across the country.
This is Champs Sports 43rd annual race. Student athletes say they train for years to be able to compete.
The top 10 boys and girls from Saturday’s race will head to San Diego, California on Dec. 10 to compete against runners from all regions with hopes of becoming a national finalist.