Hereford is evil. Hereford is gruesome. Hereford is terrifying. Hereford is hell. These are just some of the things you will hear about the Hereford cross-country course. The course has been the host of the Maryland state cross-country meet since 1957 and the world famous Bull Run since 1996. Most knowledgeable high school runners and coaches considered Hereford to be the “toughest 3 miles in cross-country.”
Being a former runner from Hereford I take great pride in hearing outsiders smite my home course. But I’m not the only one. Every year, the whole community of Hereford is buzzing about Bull Run. Many come to the school to watch the races. Nearly all of them bring a cow bell to clang as the runners go by.
In years past there have been attempts to move the state meet because parking had become a serious problem. But once the community got wind of this they did their part to save the “Hills of Hereford.” Several businesses now allow their parking lots to be used. And most notably, the farmer that lives across from the high school opens up two of his fields for spectator parking.
The course is not only important to the community but to the runners as well. As the state meet approaches, some teams commute to the Hereford Zone so they can better prepare themselves. Upon completing the course, the runners will feel exhausted, nauseous, lightheaded, and disoriented; but they will also feel something else, pride.
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