Thetford Academy is proud to host major state and regional cross-country events on its top-notch 5K course, bringing thousands of high school runners to the school’s campus every year. The Dan Grossman Woods Trail course is renowned for both its scenic beauty and level of challenge.
Woods Trail & XC Meets
Woods Trail Run
The Woods Trail Run is a unique TA event, held on the first Saturday of October every year since 1991 (with the exception of Fall 2020). The competition is a destination mid-season event for teams from throughout New England and the Northeast. The daylong event includes a middle school race, as well as ten high school races, and typically brings 1500-2000 runners to the TA campus.
2024 Woods Trail Run will take place on Saturday 10/5.
State Championships
Thetford Academy has hosted the Vermont State Cross Country Championships, sponsored by the Vermont Principals’ Association, since 1991. This event includes championship races for each of the state’s divisions (I-III) for boys and girls, as well as a challenge race. Approximately 55 Vermont schools send teams to participate in the championships, held on the last Saturday of October annually.
New England Championships
Every five years, the New England Interscholastic Cross Country Championships rotates to Vermont. Since the 1990s, TA’s premiere course has been the Vermont location for this major regional event. This event features only two races – one each for boys and girls – and showcases New England’s top cross country talent.
History of the Dan Grossman Woods Trail
TA’s iconic cross country course was the vision of Dan Grossman, longtime Thetford resident, TA parent, and volunteer, in the early 1990s. Grossman collaborated with Thetford neighbor and Olympic biathlete John Morton of Morton Trails to design and create what has become one of Thetford Academy’s most cherished community resources. Building the Woods Trail, maintaining it over the decades, and hosting the major meets has been a true collaborative effort involving hundreds of volunteers and countless hours of labor.
In 2010, the course was named the Dan Grossman Woods Trail in honor of Dan and his vision and in gratitude for the many years he spent as meet director of the major fall meets hosted by TA.