AAU CROSS COUNTRY NATIONALS 2026
December 3–6, 2026 | Tallahassee & St. Teresa, Florida
We're excited to take Triangle Elite to the AAU Cross Country National Championships! We hope this will be an opportunity for our athletes to compete on a national stage, spend time with teammates, and make some great memories together.
This trip is open to ALL Triangle Elite athletes, including our high school runners. Whether you're hoping to compete for an individual award, help your age-group team, or simply experience a national championship for the first time, there's a place for you!
We're planning a four-day trip that includes racing at Apalachee Regional Park, staying together in beach houses near St. Teresa, and plenty of time for team bonding and fun.
We'd love for athletes to travel and stay together, but families are also welcome to make their own travel arrangements and join us for the race.
REGISTER FOR NATIONALS
Full Team Trip: $525 per athlete
Includes transportation, three nights of lodging, meals, Nationals race entry, coaching, supervision, and planned team activities.
Register with a $175 deposit. The remaining $350 is due November 25.
Race Only: $100 per athlete
For athletes traveling and staying with their families. Includes Nationals race entry and Triangle Elite coaching and team support.
Use discount code RACEONLY at checkout.
We encourage families to register as soon as they know they're interested so we can organize transportation, housing, and age-group teams.
FAQ’s
GENERAL INFO
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Thursday, December 3: Depart Raleigh early, travel to Florida, and settle into our beach houses.
Friday, December 4: Course preview and packet pickup at Apalachee Regional Park, followed by beach time, games, and team activities.
Saturday, December 5: AAU National Championships! We'll race, cheer on teammates, and celebrate together afterward.
Sunday, December 6: Travel home to Raleigh, arriving in the evening.
We'll share a more detailed itinerary and departure information as the trip approaches.
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We've reserved 2-3 large beach houses at SummerCamp Beach near St. Teresa, Florida.
Athletes will stay with teammates under adult supervision. We'll organize sleeping arrangements with age, gender, supervision, and roommate requests in mind.
As registration grows, we may reserve additional nearby accommodations.
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The houses are approximately 60–75 minutes from Apalachee Regional Park, depending on traffic and conditions.
We'll plan our race-day departure times accordingly.
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Athletes participating in the full team trip will travel together from Raleigh in rented passenger vans driven by authorized adults.
Transportation between the beach houses, race venue, and scheduled activities is included.
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No! Athletes participating in the full team trip can travel and stay with Triangle Elite under coach and chaperone supervision.
Parents are absolutely welcome to attend Nationals and we will likely have many parents joining us but they are not required to accompany their athletes. We will help coordinate travel for parents who want to drive down together.
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Absolutely!
We'd love for as many athletes as possible to travel and stay together as a team, but we completely understand that won't work for every family.
Families are welcome to arrange their own transportation and lodging. Athletes will still race as part of Triangle Elite and receive team coaching and support at Nationals.
The Race Only registration fee is $100. Use code “RACEONLY” when registering.
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Yes! We'll ask for roommate preferences during registration.
We'll do our best to accommodate requests while keeping sleeping arrangements appropriate and ensuring adequate supervision.
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATIONS
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The 2026 AAU Cross Country National Championships will take place on Saturday, December 5, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
Our team trip will run from Thursday, December 3, through Sunday, December 6.
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ALL Triangle Elite athletes are invited! Nationals isn't just for our fastest runners. We want athletes of all experience and ability levels to have the opportunity to participate.
Athletes must meet the applicable AAU age and eligibility requirements.
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There are no qualifying time standards.
Ages 13–18: Athletes can register directly for Nationals without participating in a qualifying meet.
Ages 12 and under: Athletes must complete the AAU District qualifying or pay the $25 race entry fee if they cannot attend.
The North Carolina District Championship is scheduled for November 14 at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville. Coach Estep will register athletes for this meet.
We'll help families navigate those requirements.
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All athletes are welcome to race at the November 14 District Championship, whether or not they're attending Nationals.
For athletes 12 and under who plan to attend Nationals, the district registration or declaration requirement still applies.
Athletes 13–18 do not need to attend the district meet to compete at Nationals. But of course we would like you to if you can.
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AAU uses age-based divisions. We're hoping to field both boys' and girls' teams in the following groups:
9–10 years
11–12 years
13–14 years
15–18 years
Younger eligible athletes may also participate in their appropriate divisions.
We'll determine each athlete's official division using AAU's 2026 age eligibility rules.
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Both! Every athlete receives an individual race result, and eligible athletes can contribute to Triangle Elite's team score.
We're hoping to bring multiple age-group teams to Nationals. Even athletes who aren't on a scoring team can participate and represent Triangle Elite.
REGISTRATION & COST
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This includes:
Round-trip transportation from Raleigh
Three nights of lodging in our team beach houses
All scheduled meals, including meals during travel
Snacks, drinks
Team Tent
AAU Nationals race entry
Coaching and adult supervision
Planned team activities and celebrations
Personal purchases and souvenirs are not included.
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The Race Only option is $100 per athlete.
It includes AAU membership, Nationals race entry, and Triangle Elite coaching and team support.
Families choosing Race Only are responsible for their own transportation, accommodations, and meals.
We use the same registration product for both options.
At checkout, enter the discount code RACEONLY to reduce the initial $175 charge to $100.
Race Only registration is paid in full at checkout. There is no additional balance.
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No! A $175 deposit is all that's required to register for the full team trip.
The remaining $350 balance is due November 25, 2026. We'll email families a payment link after November 15 to make the final payment.
The deposit is fully refundable through November 15.
For athletes traveling with their families, the $100 Race Only registration is paid in full at checkout using discount code RACEONLY. No additional payment is required.
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Yes. For the full team trip, the $175 deposit is fully refundable through November 15.
Our cancellation policy is:
Through November 15: Full refund of payments made.
November 16–24: The $175 deposit is nonrefundable, but any additional payments are refundable.
November 25 onward: Payments are nonrefundable, except for costs we're able to recover or if a replacement athlete fills the spot.
Please contact us as soon as possible if your plans change.
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We encourage families to register as soon as they know they're interested so we can plan lodging, transportation, and age-group teams.
The AAU Nationals entry deadline is November 30 at 9:00 PM Eastern, but our team needs registration information earlier to finalize travel arrangements.
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If your athlete has already paid the 2026–2027 Triangle Elite Team Racing Fee ($100), their AAU membership is included! This fee covers team racing participation for Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track.
If your athlete has not yet paid the Team Racing Fee, they will need to do so separately to receive their AAU membership and participate in team competitions. https://triangle-elite.com/store/p/annual-team-racing-fee
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The $525 full team trip and $100 Race Only prices include the Nationals entry fee.
The registration fee for those racing the District Qualifier on November 14 is $25. Coach will send out email separately with RSVP & Payment link.
For athletes 12 and under, who are not racing the district qualifier but planning to compete at Nationals they also have to pay the $25 fee (even though they are not racing).
Finally those who have not paid the annual team racing fee $100 which include AAU Membership, T-shirt, & helps cover some team travel expenses should pay that HERE
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We haven't seen any spectator admission or parking fees listed in the official event information. We'll let families know if AAU announces any additional details before Nationals.
SAFETY & SUPERVISION
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Triangle Elite coaches and designated adult chaperones will supervise athletes during the team trip.
We'll establish room assignments, curfews, check-in procedures, and clear expectations for conduct.
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No. Athletes will be expected to stay with their assigned groups and follow coach and chaperone instructions.
Any activities away from the beach houses will be organized and supervised.
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We're planning some beach/pool time and opportunities to enjoy the area.
Swimming or other water activities will take place only if appropriate supervision, conditions, and safety arrangements are in place. Activities may be modified or canceled based on weather or other safety considerations.
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Before departure, we'll collect emergency contact information, relevant medical details, allergies, medication instructions, and required authorizations.
Please contact Coach Ivy directly before registering if your athlete has medical or supervision needs that could affect participation. We want to make sure we can plan appropriately.
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We encourage families to register as soon as they know they're interested so we can plan lodging, transportation, and age-group teams.
The AAU Nationals entry deadline is November 30 at 9:00 PM Eastern, but our team needs registration information earlier to finalize travel arrangements.
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If your athlete has already paid the 2026–2027 Triangle Elite Team Racing Fee ($100), their AAU membership is included! This fee covers team racing participation for Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track.
If your athlete has not yet paid the Team Racing Fee, they will need to do so separately to receive their AAU membership and participate in team competitions. https://triangle-elite.com/store/p/annual-team-racing-fee
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The $525 full team trip and $100 Race Only prices include the Nationals entry fee.
The registration fee for those racing the District Qualifier on November 14 is $25. Coach will send out email separately with RSVP & Payment link.
For athletes 12 and under, who are not racing the district qualifier but planning to compete at Nationals they also have to pay the $25 fee (even though they are not racing).
Finally those who have not paid the annual team racing fee $100 which include AAU Membership, T-shirt, & helps cover some team travel expenses should pay that HERE
RACING AT NATIONALS
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Absolutely! We're planning to bring high school athletes to Nationals and hope to field both boys' and girls' teams in the 15–18 age division (5K).
High school athletes do not need to qualify or compete at the November 14 District Championship to participate in Nationals.
We'd love to have a strong high school group join us for the racing, road trip, and team experience!
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Race distances are based on AAU age divisions:
6 & Under: 1K
Ages 7–8: 2K
Ages 9–10: 3K
Ages 11–12: 3K
Ages 13–14: 4K
Ages 15–18: 5K
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Yes! We plan to visit Apalachee Regional Park on Friday for packet pickup and a course preview.
This will give athletes an opportunity to see the venue, get familiar with the course, and prepare for race day.
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We'll send a complete packing list before departure.
Athletes should plan to bring running shoes, racing shoes or spikes if appropriate, Triangle Elite race uniform, comfortable clothes, sleepwear, toiletries, a jacket, and personal essentials.
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All athletes will race in our orange Triangle Elite singlets and orange shorts!
With our team continuing to grow, I've ordered additional uniforms that should arrive in mid-November. Once they're here, I'll send out a link for families who need to purchase a uniform.
If your athlete already has the orange Triangle Elite uniform, you're all set!
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Yes! AAU Nationals recognizes both individual athletes and teams.
Top 25 finishers in each birth year receive individual awards.
Top 8 finishers in each birth year earn All-American honors.
Top 3 teams in each age division receive team trophies.
We're excited for our athletes to compete individually and work together toward team awards!
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Yes! AAU Nationals includes a Masters race for adults! We'd love to see some Triangle Elite parents join in the fun and compete themselves.
Parents interested in racing will need to register separately for the Masters event. We'll share additional registration details as Nationals gets closer.