When does the league start?
Seattle Masters XC League will start in Fall 2026, as early as late August, depending on the race calendar.
What races will be part of the 2026 season?
This is TBD depending on the race calendar, but we plan to compete in the adult/open races at local youth XC meets, which include West Seattle Rust Buster (1 mile) at Lincoln Park, Cascade Striders Invitiational (3k) at Robinswood Park, and Rain City Stampede (3k) at Lower Woodland Park. In addition, we will run in the Emerald City Open (10k) at Lower Woodland Park, the USATF Pacific Northwest Association Championship (8k) and perhaps a few other races.
Who can compete?
We are focused on Masters athletes of all levels. Roughly speaking, if you are in the range of 35+, you can compete. We can make exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
Will men and women compete together?
This will depend on numbers. If there are enough teams signed up as men’s and women’s teams, we will have separate divisions. If not, all teams will compete together. Co-ed teams are welcome.
How many people can be on a team?
You can have as many people as you want on your team. Only the top three runners will score in each meet, but there is no limit of how many runners can compete as part of the team. If you have enough people, you may choose to split into multiple (A, B, C) teams.
How much does it cost?
There is no cost to participate in SMXCL, apart from the registration fees you pay to race organizers. If there is enough interest, we can have teams chip in to create a prize pool.
What if my team can’t make it to every race?
Not a problem. You can compete in as few or as many races as you want. At the beginning of the season, we will set a number of races (likely 3 or 4) that a team needs to participate in to be eligible for team standings.
How does my team sign up for SMXCL?
Just send an email to seattlemastersxc@gmail.com with your team name, and the names and ages of the individuals on your team. Specify whether your team is men’s/women’s/co-ed.
Do I need any memberships or anything?
Not really. You will need an Athletic.net account to sign up for the races. Typically, individual runners register themselves for each race. If your team wants to designate a manager with the capability of signing up other team members, you will need to create a team on Athletic.net.
You don’t need a USATF membership for most of the races, except for the Pacific Northwest Association Masters XC Championships at the end of the season.
Will standings be available online throughout the season?
Yes, standings and race results will be posted on this website after each race.
If I don’t have a team, can I still compete?
Yes, you can either compete as an individual, or we can try to match you up with a team.
Are there prizes, and are they fabulous?
Yes, there are prizes (medals, trophies, placques, etc), and of course they will be fabulous. If there is enough interest, teams can pay into a prize pool, but some swag is guaranteed.
How does team scoring work?
It is standard cross country scoring. The top runner in the race is awarded 1 point, the second runner in the race is awarded 2 points, the third runner is awarded 3 points, and so on. To calculate the team score, you add up the scores of the top three runners from each team. The lowest scoring team wins. Although only the top three runners from each team count toward the score, the fourth and fifth place runners from a team can displace runners from other teams to increase their scores. Runners who are not affiliated with a SMXCL team are filtered out for purposes of SMXC team scoring.
Seattle Masters XC League 