Cross Country Competition

From 2022 to 2024, work to design and build a new cross-country course (featuring soft surfaces and two 5 km racing layouts) made it possible for the city to host interscholastic running again after 25 years. The project was a collaboration between the City of Trenton Department of Recreation, Natural Resources, and Culture, Trenton Central High School Athletic Department, and the Cadwalader Park Alliance.

The park’s connection to high school cross country dates back over a century. In 1921, two years after the NJSIAA began declaring state champions in the sport, Cadwalader hosted the New Jersey State Cross Country Championship, with competitors from Trenton High and six other public and private high schools. In later years, the park hosted such races as the New Jersey State Prep School Championship (1920s), the State Conference “Triangular” Meet (1940s-1950s), the Mercer County Cross Country Meet (1960s), and the Greater Jersey Group 4 Southern Division Meet (1960s-1970s). It also continued to host batch meets until 1999, which resumed in 2024.

The return of competitions this season, along with the opening of the second racing layout, further enhances long-distance running opportunities in the City of Trenton, and strengthens existing running programs in the city and beyond.