Cross Country at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee

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Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee is home to one of the best-known cross country courses in the country. The 5k course winds through open grassland, rolling hills, and stretches of dense trees, which makes for a challenging and scenic race at any age or level.

A course that hosted the world

In January 2026, the park hosted the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, the first time the event had been held in the United States since 1992. The championships brought runners from around the world to a Tallahassee course.

Races all season

Throughout the year, the park hosts cross country meets that draw athletes and spectators from across the region. One of them is the FSU Pre-State Cross Country Invitational, held on September 30, 2023, which brought runners from all over Florida to compete on the course.

Photos from the 2023 FSU Pre-State Invitational

Steven Saccio Photography photographed the invitational. The gallery below shows the effort and sportsmanship on the course, along with the setting that makes the park such a popular place to race.

  • Sunset over Apalachee Regional Park with Spanish moss-draped trees
  • Large pack of cross country runners along a grassy course
  • Pack of cross country runners on a wooded trail
  • Cross country runners starting a race on a grass field
  • Crowd of runners and spectators gathered together before a race
  • Crowd of spectators watching a cross country race
  • Aerial view of a large pack of cross country runners spread across a field
  • Close-up of a cross country runner mid-stride during a race
  • Two cross country runners racing side by side
  • Cross country team huddled together on a field at dusk
  • Cross country runners racing along a marked grass course

Teams, schools, and organizers looking for photography at a cross country meet or another outdoor event can get in touch through the contact page.