Desert Twilight XC Festival 2013

Brentwood boys dominate with elite pack, great performances at Great American, HSers defeating Collegians, and much more inside! (Photo by Jeff George)

The top 4 Desert Vista girls talk about their races and the team win.

The 7 members of the winning Corona del Sol team talk about their team win.

Niwot's Jacob Fisk should be among the top contenders in Saturday's Northern Conference meet in Fort Collins. Colorado Track XC file photo.

Community Race   Aftershock Aftershock ALA ALA

The festive atmosphere of the Desert Twilight Invitational has become a meet favorite of most runners in Arizona.  Not only do they get to dance after their races but they also get to sleep in on Saturday morning instead of getting up early to beat the heat for a long run.

Six years ago the Desert Twilight Invitational started with 5 races and 886 runners.  With the Twilight Movie theme and a love for running at night the meet became an instant hit and the word spread quickly.  The sixth annual Desert Twilight Invitational had over 4,000 runners crossing the finish line with teams from Coast to Coast attending.  The cool night air and the fast course of Toka Sticks gave way to some outstanding times and competition.

The Lake Braddock cross country team typically takes an annual trip out-of-state and has been picking almost a new meet each year for the past several years. This year the Bruins of Burke, Virginia traveled all the way out to Gilbert, Arizona for the Desert Twilight XC Festival, which gathers many of the top teams in the Southwest Region of the country. The VA #10 ranked Lake Braddock boys and VA #4 ranked Lake Braddock girls both ran impressively to each finish 3rd in the Sweepstakes Races standings, which is the top division race in the meet on a fast 5K course on the Toka Sticks Golf Course in Gilbert, Arizona.

The girls varsity race gets underway at the Rob Winter Classic and Las Cruces. Photo by Lola Cunico.

Central Park Invitational Meet Results Girls Highlights

The Desert Vista cross country programs have a different feel in 2013. (via Ahwatukee Foothills News)

  By Tyler Killian azcentral sports Mon Oct 21 If there’s ever a time to announce yourself as a contender in Arizona cross country, it’s at the Desert Twilight Invitational, a multistate event held roughly a month before the state championship meet.  (via www.azcentral.com)