“Success is not where you got, but the distance you travelled from where you started.”
~Steve Prefontaine
Follow Monta Vista Cross Country on Instagram: @montavistaxc
Hey you, yes YOU! We think you are a perfect fit for the Monta Vista Cross Country team in 2026! Why do we think that? Because…
- Our team is inclusive, and we value everyone who joins our team and has a hardworking, positive attitude!
- We are a bunch of high achievers and we guess that you are too!
- You might not think you have enough endurance. However, MVXC embraces a growth mindset. You might not have a lot of endurance YET, but you can train and develop your endurance. By the end of the season, a run that seemed long and challenging will become your recovery day run. Trust us!
- For freshmen, cross-country is a wonderful way to start high school. Freshmen will have older teammates who will become friends you see in the hallway on day one. Monta Vista will be a more welcoming place when you have freinds who are seniors!
- Athletes in other sports will become stronger by being part of our cross country team. We have seen basketball players and soccer players go back to their winter sport and find out that they are just as fast in the last few minutes of a game or a match as when the game begins. Not being tired at the end earns an athlete more minutes on the court!
- You will be part of an uncommonly tight knit crew that will support you in your journey, both in athletics and in academics.
Here is some information to help you get started with MVXC!
The Basics of Getting Started With MVXC
- Buy some running shoes! We recommend getting fitted at a specialty running store such as Running Revolution in Campbell (tell them you are on the Monta Vista Cross Country team and they will give you a discount). Please don’t buy your shoes on-line or at a big box store that also sells canoes and whatnot. Gettting properly fitted shoes will help you so much! Tell the person who helps you that your coach recommends that you get a basic trainer that is as neutral as possible for your stride. Here are some details on buying shoes.
- Start your paperwork for joining the team today! The school requires some on-line paperwork, and you will need to get a physical from your doctor. Please schedule your physical now and get this out of the way; too many athletes procrastinate and then they can’t start practicing with the team in August. Here is information from the athletics website.
- Start running!
Summer Running
If you have never run before, some summer running will get you ready for the season. At the most basic, just go out and run at a comfortable pace for 30 to 45 minutes, four to six days a week. But you know what is more fun? Go run with a group!
Monta Vista summer running is optional. Athletes will meet at the Monta Vista High School track at 7 am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday–every morning other than Sunday. We start early so that we get finished before the summer heat starts pounding on us, and we are done by 8:30 or 9 am and have the entire day for summer jobs, internships, classes, games, trips to the beach–the whole day is open and we have our miles in the bank. Every day at summer running there will be options for many different distances…some runners might run three miles, you may work up to 12 mile runs at some point! The runs are student lead. Coach Flatow will have suggested runs for us to follow.
And we will have some fun activities, maybe a pot luck breakfast on the Fourth of July, for example!
2026 Cross Country Season Highlights
Here is a tentative plan for the coming cross country season.
- August 8: First Day of Practice at 7 am
- August 17: First day of school, and afterschool practice begins
- August 26: Parent Night
- August 27: Watermelon Run!
- September 4: Team Pasta Night
- September 5: First race! Lagoon Valley Invitational in Vacaville
- September 19: Travel to Concord for the De La Salle/Nike Invitational!
- September 22: SCVAL Season Opener at Baylands in Sunnyvale
- October 2: Board a bus and travel together down to San Diego!
- October 3: Mt. Carmel Invitational in Balboa Park, San Diego.
- October 10: Dawn Patrol and Candy Crush
- October 16: Rough Rider at Woodward Park, the California State Championship course
- October 20: SCVAL Baylands 2
- October 29: Lynbrook Invitational, FUHSD Championships, and Senior Meet
- November 3: SCVAL Championships
- November 14: Central Coast Section Championships (MVXC has won twice since 2013!)
- November 18: Season Banquet
- November 28: State Championship Meet
FAQs:
Can I talk to someone if I have questions? Yes! You can email the team information line at mvxcrunningpride@gmail.com and a student-athlete will get back to you. You can contact Coach Flatow at coachflatow@gmail.com. And if you have questions about your sports physical or athletic clearance, please contact Mr. Bonacorsi at nick_bonacorsi@fuhsd.org.
Do I really need new shoes? Yup! Well fitted shoes will help you avoid injury. This is the one equipment investment you need to make for distance running!
I’m not that fast. Am I good enough to be on the team? We want to change your mindset…we want you to think I am not that fast YET. One of the glories of distance running is that if you train, you will get faster. And that is what MVXC cares about most…we want to see you improve. Read the Steve Prefontaine quote at the top of this post again!l Anyone who wants to run and improve their endurace and speed is welcome and honored on our team.
Cross country and distance running is not my primary sport; I play basketball/soccer/wrestling/hurdle/swim. Does cross make sense for me? Absolutely! We have never had an athlete come back to tell us they were a worse soccer player or a worse basketball player or anything else after a season of cross country. On the contrary, what is more typical is hearing that because the athlete is so much more fit, she is just as fast in the fourth quarter as the first quarter, so their coach gives them more minutes, and they at the holiday tournament they make the all-tourament team for the first time ever! We want cross-country to help you be successful in your base sport after our season is over.
Do people get cut from the team? We don’t cut for performance but occasionally we may cut for attitude, if a person is not bought into our team concept. If you make cross-country your highest priority extracurricular activity, you come to practice every day, and you make a real effort to try your best, support your teammates, and work to improve, we have a place for you on MVXC!
Do I have to come to practice every day? Everyone is allowed five absences during the season, no questions asked. You are also excused if you are ill and do not come to school that day (if you attend school, can come to practice). If you miss more than five practices, then you will not earn PE credit and you may be asked to leave the team so that you can focus on your other extracurricular priorities.
How much does a season cost? Not including the optional San Diego trip, we typically ask for a $300 tax-deductible contribution to the Monta Vista Athletic Boosters. This amount covers the bus trips to Lagoon Valley and Rough Rider, a technical practice t-shirt, a summer running t-shirt, entry fees to all the meets, contribution to the team uniform fund (uniforms are loaned, to be returned at the end of the season), Saturday breakfasts, and MVAB membership. Grants/financial aid is available on request for any family; we understand the current economic conditions hit us all differently. Also, families who join MVAB are eligible for scholarships in their senior year; in 2024, four cross-country and track athletes (Valerie Ayzenberg, Margaux Francoeur, Anika Mannesh, and Megan Nieh) all won MVAB scholarships, more than any other sport!
Is the trip to San Diego required? No, this trip is optional. All dedicated athletes are invited. I do hope you come! We had several freshmen travel to Oregon with MVXC in 2025, and two even came home with medals they won at the Three Course Challenge cross-country race!
Are incoming freshmen eligible for the trip to San Diego? Yes you are! In 2025, there were several first year runners who flew to Oregon to compete with our team. Build up enough endurance so a you can handle a 5 km race, show your dedication, and we will invite you to join us!
“In the beginning, it’s sometimes difficult for new runners to understand that the whole point is not to beat the other fellow. The point is to beat the little voice inside your head that wants you to quit.” -George Sheehan
