PEORIA — Thousands upon thousands of high school cross country runners will once again be in Peoria this weekend.
The 37th annual First to the Finish Invitational brings the state’s largest collection of teams and runners to Detweiller Park, which the home of the Illinois High School Association state cross country meet, on Saturday.
According to Peoria High athletics director Brien Dunphy, who is in his 18th year as race director, the former Woodruff Invitational will have a record 221 Illinois schools participating — 10 more than last year’s races.
Here are three questions — from participation numbers to top favorites — ahead of the six-race schedule at the historic 3-mile course:
How many runners are in the 2025 First to the Finish?
Now, there aren’t as many runners as the 2024 edition — a record-high 5,639 runners crossed the finish line — but there are still 5,507 runners from a combined 226 boys and girls teams toeing the starting line. In total, there are 29 new schools in the mix with some sending just their boys or only their girls teams.
IHSA state meet timers Jerry and Elaine Riebling along with Larry Hicks of River City Race Management will time and score the meet. Awards will be given to the top 50 individuals and top five teams.
The race schedule is Class 1A girls at 8 a.m., Class 1A boys at 8:40 a.m., Class 2A girls at 9:20 a.m., Class 2A boys at 10 a.m., girls open at 10:40 a.m., boys open at 11:20 a.m., girls Class 3A at 12 p.m. and boys Class 3A at 12:40 p.m.
What teams are favored at the 2025 First to the Finish?
MileSplit Illinois ranks the top 25 teams weekly in each of the three classes for both boys and girls. Several Peoria-area ranked teams will compete.
The Class 1A second-ranked Eureka girls along with No. 5 El Paso-Gridley, No. 6 Elmwood/Brimfield, No. 9 Delavan and No. 12 Stark County are in the field. In the Class 1A boys race, top-ranked Eureka is running to go with No. 4 Elmwood/Brimfield, No. 5 El Paso-Gridley and No. 6 Illini Bluffs.
Mid-Illini Conference foes Washington (seventh) and Morton (eighth) as well as Peoria Notre Dame (16th) are ranked in the Class 2A boys race. The Panthers (fifth), Morton (18th), PND (20th) and Dunlap (25th) highlight the Class 2A girls teams.
No local teams are ranked in the Class 3A races, but No. 1-ranked Plainfield North will be in the Class 3A boys race, while the top-ranked Class 3A girls team Barrington is set to compete.
Which runners have a chance at the 2025 First to the Finish?
Delavan junior Corie Green, Stark County sophomore Evan Knobloch, Illini Bluffs senior Eric Pincock, Eureka senior Timothy Rogers and Elmwood/Brimfield senior Aiden Faulkner will all be in the mix during the Class 1A boys race. Illini Bluffs freshman Aubrey Dickinson has the potential to make a big splash in Class 1A girls race with Delavan senior Annabelle LaFary, Stark County junior Dusti Smith and Knoxville senior Alyssa Higgins all looking to finish in the top 50.
Reigning Journal Star boys runner of the year and Peoria Notre Dame junior Maxwell Kirby has the potential to not only finish in the top 10, but win the Class 2A boys race. A pair of Washington runners — senior Charlie Borlin and junior Ben Gorsage — are in the mix for the Class 2A top 50 along with sophomore Abe Martin of Morton.
In the Class 2A girls race, two-time Journal Star runner of the year Sophia Ramirez of Washington will be a top-50 contender. Pekin junior Morgan Coker could be the area’s highest finisher in the Class 3A girls race.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois’ largest high school cross country meet brings 5,507 runners to Peoria
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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