On the north bank of the Spokane River at Flora Road, the first 600 meters of the race are a straight shot. The starting line is 70 meters wide. The course runs 10 to 15 meters wide through grassy meadows, past rocky outcrops and under Douglas firs that Discover Spokane Valley describes as a hundred years old. A permanent arch marks the finish. The layout was built to NCAA and USATF specifications.
The Course Spokane Valley opened on August 15, 2026, and for Greenacres and Morningside Heights it's the newest public park nearby. Visitor money paid for most of it, and the city wants visitor money to help keep it running. November is when that plan gets its biggest test. Three championship meets come to 2520 N. Flora Road between Nov. 9 and Nov. 21, and the plan for each one keeps spectator cars off Flora Road.
Hotel Stays Paid for the Grass
In 2020, the City of Spokane Valley bought 46 acres of undeveloped riverbank at Flora Road from the Washington State Department of Transportation for park and recreation use. That's according to a city council recap. In 2023, the city's Tourism Strategic Plan named a cross country venue as its best tourism investment based on expected return.
The funding followed that logic. The city's construction-completion announcement lists these sources:
- $6.9 million in Spokane Valley lodging tax revenue
- $150,000 from a Washington State Legislature capital appropriation in the 2024 session
- $282,464 from a Washington State Department of Commerce grant awarded to Spokane Sports
- $26,000 from a Union Pacific Foundation grant awarded to Spokane Sports
Lodging tax is collected on hotel stays, so most of the construction money came from visitors. Work started in fall 2024. Walker Construction, Inc. and SPVV Landscape Architects were the primary contractors, and the council celebrated completion on Oct. 27, 2025. The city then held off on a full season for a year so the new sod could take root. The course hosted only two preview meets in November 2025 before its first full season in 2026.
Keeping it championship-grade costs money every year. A recent council recap puts 2027 turf maintenance at about $288,400. Expected rental fees of $70,000 cover only part of that, which leaves a $218,400 gap. Staff recommended applying for $125,000 in lodging tax funds to cover part of the shortfall, and the council agreed to bring that back for a formal vote. Visitors paid to build the course, and the city expects visitor money to help maintain it. Meets that fill hotel rooms are how that plan works.
Three Championships in 13 Days
The city and Spokane Sports booked 14 events for the 2026 cross country season, which runs from mid-August through November. The first ten were invitationals, school meets and district races. The three left on the calendar are all championships.
| Date | Meet | What's at stake |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Nov. 9 | NWAC Men's & Women's Cross Country Championships | Northwest Athletic Conference titles, with nearly 150 runners |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | NCAA Division III West Region Championships | Regional championship hosted by Whitworth University and the Spokane Sports Commission |
| Friday–Saturday, Nov. 20–21 | Nike Cross Regionals Northwest | Qualifier for Nike Cross Nationals, with high school teams from seven states |
The NWAC meet falls on a Monday, with the women's 6K at 11:00 a.m. and the men's 8K at noon. The NCAA regional is a single Saturday, Nov. 14, according to the NCAA's regional host list and Lewis & Clark College's team preview. Nike Cross Regionals Northwest, or NXR, runs Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, and will be broadcast from The Course. Teams come from Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The Spokesman-Review notes that the national meet NXR feeds is held in Portland in early December.
The Parking Plan Starts on Sullivan Road
When the course was planned for visitors, spectator parking ended up somewhere else. On-site parking is for teams, volunteers and staff. In September, ahead of the Bob Firman Invitational, the Spokesman-Review put it plainly: "There is no general parking available at the Course." That weekend, spectators were sent to the Mirabeau Transit Center for a Spokane Transit Authority shuttle. Admission was $10 online or $15 on race day.
The NWAC meet on Nov. 9 has its own system, laid out on the conference's championship page:
- Buy tickets ahead. The event is fully cashless. Adults are $12, seniors 62 and older and students with ID are $8, youth ages 7 to 12 are $6, and children 6 and under and military with valid ID get in free. Card purchases carry processing fees.
- Park at Spokane Valley Commons, 2818 N. Sullivan Rd. All spectator parking is there.
- Ride the shuttle. It's about a 5-minute trip. Buses leave both ends every 10 minutes starting at 9:30 a.m., and the last bus leaves The Course at 2:30 p.m.
- Drop-offs are allowed. Drivers who drop someone at the course are then routed to the satellite lot. Limited ADA parking is available on site.
- Leave the dog and the bike at home. The course policy for the meet is no dogs and no bikes.
The Mirabeau Hotel also runs a day-of shuttle for fans between the hotel and the course. Permanent and portable restrooms are at the venue. The NCAA host document and the NXR pages don't yet list spectator times, ticket prices or parking details, so check each organizer's site the week of the meet.
Why the Biggest Meet Comes Last
NXR closes the season because of a move that began in Idaho. Meet director Ryan Canning used to pair the in-season Bob Firman Invitational with NXR at Eagle Island State Park in the Boise area. According to the Spokesman-Review, both meets outgrew that site because each one tied up the course for two days. Canning couldn't find a new home in the Treasure Valley. He contacted Spokane Sports, which manages The Course's racing schedule, and they reached an agreement. NXR was held temporarily at the Spokane Polo Grounds last fall.
The first Bob Firman Invitational at Flora Road, held in late September, shows what the November finale could bring. KREM reported more than 3,200 athletes from 115 high schools in 10 states and one Canadian province. Some of the teams that traveled farthest came from Hawaii and Illinois. Before the meet, the city estimated that more than 10,000 people would visit over the two days. Canning told KREM that Bob Firman and NXR together have historically brought an estimated $6 million to $8 million in economic impact to their host area, and that organizers hope to build back toward that level in Spokane Valley. He described The Course as one of the premier cross country facilities in the nation.
Mayor Laura Padden described the payoff in the same KREM story: "They're in our hotels, shopping in our stores, eating in our restaurants, and they're being introduced to Spokane Valley and hopefully coming back again." Those hotel stays also generate lodging tax, the same revenue that built the course and that the city now wants to put toward its maintenance gap.
For anyone watching a meet who wants a sit-down meal afterward, one of the area's newer restaurants is a short drive east. Capitol Bar & Grill opened in August at Appleway Avenue and Barker Road. The Spokesman-Review reported that it has sports on TVs throughout the dining room, a pool table, cornhole and outdoor seating.
The Part Being Built for Neighbors
The championships are the visitor side of the property. The riverbank is where the city has made its biggest commitment to residents. When the course was completed in 2025, then-Mayor Pam Haley called it "a wonderful new park for our community." The city has said the venue can host other sports or community activities in the off-season.
The city's 46 acres sit next to a 16-acre shoreline parcel owned by Washington State Parks. The development plan always included a State Parks commitment to fold that shoreline into the park and improve public access to the Spokane River. City and State Parks staff then designed the "River View Trail," which crosses both properties. On July 9, 2026, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved a 30-year easement, updated the land classification and approved building a pedestrian trail with amenities. The Spokane Valley City Council then authorized the city manager to sign the easement on a 6–1 vote. The terms call for the city to pay State Parks a one-time $58,194.
Construction dates for the River View Trail haven't been announced. Its approval means that the 46 acres built for visiting runners will also give residents better access to the river right next to them.
Chelsey Graves and the team at Graves Re Group follow projects like The Course and the River View Trail because they shape daily life in Greenacres and Morningside Heights. If you're wondering what new parks and trails like these could mean for your home's value, ask us for a free home valuation.
