Scores of fans crowded the finish line. A breakfast burrito stand stood nearby. Buses lined the parking area, and runners warmed up under nearby trees.
Then, the races began, and, the Mancos High School girls and boys cross-country teams thrilled those in attendance at the Chicken Creek Invitational on Sept. 27.
Leading the Mancos boys was Ro Paschal, who raced far ahead of the competitive field to finish first overall at 18:01.
"It was pretty relaxed," said Paschal after the race. "All of us stuck together on the first mile and after that, we just broke apart."
Not far behind was Bluejays freshman Simon Kearns, who, turning in one of his best performances of the season, finished third at 18:26.
"I felt pretty good (today)," said Kearns. "(The season) is going really well."
Third across the line for the Bluejays was Nic Archuleta, who finished sixth at 19:16. Asa Kearns finished 16th (20:19), Zane Goodell finished 29th (21:20), and Vincent Grego finished 31st (21:29).
The Mancos boys finished first ahead of second-place Monticello and six other teams.
"It's always fun finishing here," said Archuleta. "Everybody is cheering, and the whole town is here. We always try to come and do our best."
Among the girls, Mancos was paced by Emma Most, who finished 13th at 24:07.
"It was pretty hot out there, but I think our team did pretty good," she said.
Next across the line for the Mancos girls was Hannah Skinner, who finished 15th at 24:41. Jessalyn Bay-Voit rounded out the girls finishers, crossing the line in 35th (27:50).
Montezuma-Cortez High School standout Rachel Demby finished individually with a time of 21:12, and Pagosa Springs won the girls team title.
"It's really nice having so many people around us," said Skinner. "Since we know the course really well, we know when to speed up and slow down."
Next up for Mancos cross-country will be the John Thornton Invitational in Blanding on Oct. 1. The Bluejays will then compete at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds on Oct. 4.