Spokane Valley breaks ground on state-of-the-art cross country track

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. -- Spokane Valley will soon be home to a new, world-class cross country facility.

The Spokane Valley Cross Course is set to open in Fall 2025 just off Flora Road, between East Euclid and the Spokane River.

The course will be the first of its kind on the west coast.

"The City of Spokane and sports go hand-in-hand. It's so frequently we host national stages like NCAA tournaments that come to town. And not only does it bring hundreds, thousands of athletes, it also brings many people discovering the Inland Northwest for the first time," said Ashley Blake, CEO of Spokane Sports.

Blake said sporting events are a great way to engage visitors with our community.

"In a typical year, we'll host between 100-150,000 people that come in. They spend money in our restaurants, they rent cars, they shop, they recreate and they infuse new dollars into our economy," she said.

Pat Tyson, Gonzaga University's Director of Cross Country, Track and Field said the course will be used by everyone, from middle school kids to adults.

"To have this venue that will be used by middle school kids, grade school kids, high school kids, college kids and adults is so cool," he said. "So, big thank you to Spokane Valley for doing something nobody else has done in the west."

The 2027 NCAA Division 1 Regional Men's Cross Country Qualifier is set to take place at the track.

Blake said athletes from around the world will use the new track and that there are already 10 active bids to host other major events at the course.

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