Van Cortlandt Park is a popular site for cross-country running, owing to its miles of cinder trails and hills as well as its steep terrain.
One legend has it that a cross-country coach thought that Van Cortlandt Park's tracks were too hard and instead went to the New Jersey Meadowlands to train.
Its courses are some of the most utilized cross-country courses in the United States.

Around the Parade Ground, known to runners as "the flats," there is a track that circles for 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
Another 1.25-mile (2.01 km) rubber trail and the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) cross-country trail supplement each other between 241st Street and the city border.
Runners on the cross-country course typically run 6.2 miles (10.0 km).
They start at the Parade Ground and passing through "the cowpath," "the runners' bridge," Cemetery Hill, and "the back hills," using the back hills to turn back at the city border.
This trail, built in 1913 out of parts of existing trails, was renovated in 1997 for $2 million, receiving a new layer of asphalt and stone to cover a tangle of "muddy ruts and jutting roots and rocks" that were breaking runners' ankles.
However, by 2013, the trail was starting to show signs of deterioration.

The park is used for the Northeast regional championships of the Foot Locker Cross-Country Championships.
The cross-country trail is used for the Manhattan College Invitational, one of the largest high school cross-country meets in the nation.
In 2006, the USA Cross-Country Championships were held at Van Cortlandt and organized by USATF and New York Road Runners.

The tracks are used not only by local high schools, but also for many college races.
It is the home course for Fordham University; Iona College; New York University; and Manhattan College, located across the street.
 The college course is five miles (8.0 km) long, crossing the Henry Hudson Parkway at one point.
This course was renovated in 1997 for almost $1 million.
The 1968 and 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship was hosted by Manhattan College at the park.
The events were attended by about 10,000 people, and the championship race was 6 miles (9.7 km) long.
In addition, Van Cortlandt is the venue for the annual IC4A or Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (ICAAAA) cross country championships.
Van Cortlandt Park is a popular site for cross-country running, owing to its miles of cinder trails and hills as well as its steep terrain. One legend has it that a cross-country coach thought that Van Cortlandt Park's tracks were too hard and instead went to the New Jersey Meadowlands to train. Its courses are some of the most utilized cross-country courses in the United States.
Around the Parade Ground, known to runners as "the flats," there is a track that circles for 1.5 miles (2.4 km). Another 1.25-mile (2.01 km) rubber trail and the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) cross-country trail supplement each other between 241st Street and the city border. Runners on the cross-country course typically run 6.2 miles (10.0 km). They start at the Parade Ground and passing through "the cowpath," "the runners' bridge," Cemetery Hill, and "the back hills," using the back hills to turn back at the city border. This trail, built in 1913 out of parts of existing trails, was renovated in 1997 for $2 million, receiving a new layer of asphalt and stone to cover a tangle of "muddy ruts and jutting roots and rocks" that were breaking runners' ankles. However, by 2013, the trail was starting to show signs of deterioration.
The park is used for the Northeast regional championships of the Foot Locker Cross-Country Championships. The cross-country trail is used for the Manhattan College Invitational, one of the largest high school cross-country meets in the nation. In 2006, the USA Cross-Country Championships were held at Van Cortlandt and organized by USATF and New York Road Runners.
The tracks are used not only by local high schools, but also for many college races. It is the home course for Fordham University; Iona College; New York University; and Manhattan College, located across the street.  The college course is five miles (8.0 km) long, crossing the Henry Hudson Parkway at one point. This course was renovated in 1997 for almost $1 million. The 1968 and 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship was hosted by Manhattan College at the park. The events were attended by about 10,000 people, and the championship race was 6 miles (9.7 km) long. In addition, Van Cortlandt is the venue for the annual IC4A or Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (ICAAAA) cross country championships.
Van Cortlandt Park