The course used at a given meet can differ — check the meet instructions.
| Section | Terrain | Climb | Descent | Along the way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 10.00 mi–1.00 mi | Uphill | +75 ft | −9 ft |
|
| Mile 21.00 mi–2.00 mi | Hilly | +184 ft | −116 ft |
|
| Mile 32.00 mi–3.00 mi | Downhill | +14 ft | −168 ft |
|
| Final 0.11 mi3.00 mi–3.11 mi | Flat | +1 ft | −0 ft | — |
The biggest climb is Cardiac Hill: 152 ft in 595 m, 7.8% on average and up to 19% at its steepest.
| Climb | Starts at | Length | Gain | Average | Steepest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snake Hill | 0.82 mi | 521 m | +111 ft | 6.5% | 13% |
| Cardiac Hill | 1.66 mi | 595 m | +152 ft | 7.8% | 19% |
Steepest is the steepest 50 m of the climb. Climbs gaining at least 23 ft (7 m) are listed.
34 Section XI meets in our results were run at Sunken Meadow State Park.
Snake Hill, Cardiac Hill, and a flat finish beside the Moat.
The course opens with roughly three-quarters of a mile of flat running before Snake Hill. From there, runners pass through the picnic area, climb toward Cardiac, cross the back meadow, and return through the Mouse Hole and around the Moat for the flat finish.
The ground rises through the picnic area before the steep climb up Cardiac. At the 2009 Foot Locker Northeast race, Brad Miles held back with the lead pack into the hill. He had visited earlier that week to run repeats on the course; race coverage described deep sand on the climb.
At the 2014 county championships, Sachem North raced the flat sections aggressively and passed runners on both hills and descents. All seven runners finished with course bests.
Sunken Meadow has several race layouts. At the 2025 St. Anthony’s Invitational, freshman races used a 1.85-mile route following restrictions on the traditional wooden-bridge route for large fields. Check your meet’s distance and layout before walking the course.
“the deceptive incline in the picnic table area that precedes Cardiac”
“Run fast, we’ll deal with the hills, then run fast again”