Nash Farm Hosts the Battle of Atlanta Cross Country Meet

Long distance runners compete for the title at the Battle of Atlanta Cross Coutry Meet held at Nash Farm in Hampton.

Over the years, Nash Farm Park in Hampton has been home to festivals, weddings, sporting events and the like. As a former Civil War battlefield with rolling green pastures and fields, what better place to host the Battle of Atlanta Cross Country Meet, which took place on Saturday, September 22.

More than 40 high school and middle school varsity and junior varsity teams converged on Nash Farm with nearly 1,500 athletes competing for the top spot in a 5K cross country competition, appropriately dubbed the Battle of Atlanta, drawing teams from both North and South of I 20. Local teams who competed and co-hosted the event are Eagle’s Landing High School, Luella High School and Union Grove High School.

The winning boys’ team was Woodward Academy in Atlanta by one point over McIntosh High School, from Peachtree City. Brad Hort from McIntosh won the individual race. The girls’ individual race was won by Sarah Bowles of Lakeside-Evans High School out of Augusta and the winning girls’ team was McIntosh High School.

On the cross country circuit, Nash Farm is noted as the most spectator-friendly for an event like this and has gained a reputation as one of the best cross country venues in the nation. Nash Farm’s open terrain makes it ideal for cross country trails.

“One of the reasons for the growth of this meet is the venue itself. Nash Farm has gained a reputation as one of the best cross country venues in the country. Collegiate teams have hosted conference meets at Nash Farm and this year Emory University is hosting its D3 Regional Meet there,” said race organizer, Claude Spinks, athletic director and head track and cross country coach for Eagle’s Landing High School. 

In fact, last year, Nash Farm was the site for the Colonial Athletic Association Championships which brought dozens of collegiate athletes from across the nation to Henry County. The event was a success, not only from an athletic standpoint, but from the tourism aspect as well. Henry County hosts many tournaments throughout the year, attracting athletes from around the state and across the country, to participate in everything from baseball and softball tournaments to soccer and paintball. In the warmer months, nearly every weekend is filled with tournaments, and these events bring people and tourism revenue into the County. Such spending is a boon to the SPLOST program, which benefits residents through tax dollars spent by visitors while they are staying, dining, and shopping in our community.

In addition to Emory University’s Division 3 Southern Regional Cross Country meet on November 10, the next cross country event to be held at Nash Farm is the Golden Eagle Invitational, to be held on October 13 and hosted by Eagle’s Landing High School.

For more information on Henry County Parks and Recreation, visit www.hcprd.org.

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