Scenic Woodward Park, located in north Fresno, has hosted 18 major events, including this year's Western Athletic Conference Championship since 1968. Also serving as a venue to 14 NCAA region/district championships, Woodward Park also is the home base for all of Fresno State's home meets while becoming one of the most well-traveled cross country courses in the state.

Since the 1970s, Woodward Park has hosted more major cross country competitions than any other site on the West Coast, including high school and junior college championship meets. The course boasts a lot of grass running with a few long, steep up hills. A mild rolling terrain, it is 30 percent asphalt and 70 percent grass and dirt trails. The park runs several courses of different lengths which include four-mile, five-mile, eight-mile and 10-mile courses. All of the courses cover the same area and repeat many of the same miles, with the first mile identical for all courses.

At all levels, Woodward Park has become an important developmental cross country course. The courses have remained the same through the years, allowing for consistent times and records.

"It has been run so many times that the records are very meaningful," former Fresno State cross country coach Red Estes said. "They've kept records at the course at all levels over these years, and the records do mean something. At many courses, there are a lot of changes and the records aren't consistent. This is one place where you can actually compare times."