You’ll only get one chance this year to cheer on Port Aransas Marlins crosscountry runners at home, and that chance comes Saturday, Sept. 25. That’s when Port Aransas High School and Brundrett Middle School host their only cross-country meet of the 2010 season.

Port Aransas cross-country runners have done well in meets already this year, and backers expect to see them perform just as well on their home course.

“Cross country is an under-spectated sport,” said Jana Snow, one of two people promoting the project of getting people out to cheer the Marlins. “It takes focus, determination and physical conditioning and, despite really hard work, runners rarely get any spectator support!”

Snow said about 20 schools from 5A down to 1A are coming to Port Aransas for the meet.

“Please go down to the beach or anywhere along the course and yell, clap, cheer and smile for these runners. We’d love to show them all what Port A is made of!” she said.

The varsity and JV boys will start at Beach Access Road 1A and run along the beach to Beach Street. They’ll turn up Beach Street to Station Street, then turn and finish at the high school. Varsity and JV boys will run three miles.

All other races will start at Sandcastle Drive and the beach and follow the same route for the rest of the race, a distance of two miles.

Races are expected to last between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the distance and the runners.

The schedule: 8 a.m. – Varsity girls 8:30 a.m. – Varsity boys 9 a.m. – JV girls 9:30 a.m. – JV boys 10 a.m. – 7th grade boys and girls 10:30 a.m. – 8th grade boys and girls

For more information, call Snow at (361) 438-1380 or Tanya May at (361) 553-3757.