JDL Mini-Meets Kick Off 5 Weeks of Track Awesomeness in North Carolina

That iconic blue-and-black track will once again host high school talent from multiple states, while JDL Fast Track continues to attract some of the top talent in the Southeast.


North Carolina has some pretty amazing cross country invitationals, and the outdoor track state meets are always excellent (not to mention New Balance Nationals in June). There may never have been a stretch of incredible meets like the one we just kicked off, though: five weekends in a row, six huge and intense meets in our state (and that doesn't even include the Virginia Tech Invitational, which is the last weekend in January).


Fast Track High School Invitational (January 24)

  • A few years ago, this was the BIG meet held at JDL Fast Track. Now, it's not even the best meet on their calendar - the David Oliver Classic has taken over that spot - but there is still a ridiculous amount of talent at this one-day invitational.
  • Meet Page (with time schedule)
  • Current Entries (via Direct Athletics)


Eastern High School Challenge (January 31)

  • The oldest indoor invitational still running in our state, this meet always produces great competition and regularly draws teams from outside the state. UNC's Eddie Smith Fieldhouse, the location of the meet, is an interesting place to compete (although not a great place to spectate), and the "old guard" in our state can tell you stories about the previous building on that spot, the legendary "Tin Can." That kind of history adds spice to a meet!
  • Meet Page (with meet information/time schedule)
  • Current Entries (via CoachO)
  • Last Year's Results & Photos


Hilton Garden Innvitational/Camel City Elite (January 30-31)

  • This isn't a high school meet (although it always draws a handful of strong unattached prep athletes). However, if you love track & field, this could be the place to be, especially on Saturday afternoon. That's when the collegiate races (some of the best in the nation) give way to the Camel City Elite events, which feature professional runners. Shannon Rowbury, Morgan Uceny, Will Leer, Leo Manzano, Geena Gall, Latavia Thomas, Phoebe Wright, David Oliver, Jason Richardson - those are just some of the top-notch athletes competing in an intense afternoon session!
  • Meet Page (with time schedule)
  • Camel City Elite Fields
  • Last Year's Results, Photos, and Video


David Oliver Classic (February 6-7)

  • This meet has two goals: to spread interest in our sport among kids and their parents, and to become the most competitive indoor track meet in the Southeastern US! The meet is well on its way, using a schedule that mirrors that of the Hilton Garden meet: a full high school invitational Friday night and Saturday, with an Elite session on Saturday afternoon. NCRunners is helping to recruit athletes from seven states for this meet, and we are assembling one of the best boys' mile fields ever on NC soil, among other featured races. Another interesting wrinkle to this meet: in the standard events, only the top entries will be accepted, instead of the "first-come, first-served" procedure that JDL uses for most of its meets. That ensures a highly-competitive meet, where the "regular" events will only be a little bit behind the Elite events in terms of talent! If that isn't enough for you, World Champion hurdler David Oliver will be on-site to support and inspire the athletes.
  • Meet Page (with time schedule)
  • Updated Elite Fields (coming later today!)
  • Last Year's Results, Photos, and Video


NCHSAA State Championships (February 13-14)