Dave Smith has a secret. 

Yes, some of the most talented runners in the world flock to Stillwater, but that’s not exactly something Coach Smith has kept under wraps. 

The secret to the Cowboys success is not only the great runners that Smith has accumulated, but the facility that they get to train on. The monster that is the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course preps Smith’s runners for the challenges that they will encounter in November, and its done a damn good job in recent years. 

The 2010 and 2012 National Champions always kick off their season with their home meet, the Cowboy Jamboree, which happens to be the oldest cross country meet in the US. Held since 1937, the Jamboree winds through dirt and grass before the infamous wood chip hills are encountered. It is in those hills that you find Smith’s Cowboys working together and moving up, using that secret to destroy the competition. Here’s a look inside the course that built the Cowboy Dynasty.

Course: Oklahoma State Cross Country Course

Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Usage: High school and College

Layout: Races start at the base of a 200-meter hill which leads up to a long straightway. The wide start gives the athletes plenty of time to settle into position before they turn right and run along the perimeter of the course. The 1K marker used to be the sight of the famed steps, a two-sided steel platform that runners formally had to step and hurdle. If used correctly, the steps could be a boost heading down into the wood-chip hills.

Don’t take the wood chips lightly. The terrain of this quiet section of the course is rolling and the surface does everything to zap your energy. Part of the reason that the Cowboys have dominated on their home course is because they do so many repeats here, and are accustomed to the toll on their legs. 

After a brief first encounter, runners will exit these hills and cross a short bridge before hitting the mile. The course follows a dirt/grass exterior path that is mostly flat for about 1.5K before entering the woods again shortly before 3K. Runners will traverse a combination of the wood-chip hills and hard dirt for the next 2K until the finish line is reached. The long straightaway that forms the finishing chute is about 400m long, and is welcome sight after a long climb. For the 8K, the race crosses the start line and heads back up the grass hill for a final loop. 

Course Records: Men(8K): 23:25- Adam Goucher, Colorado; Women(5K): 16:19- Sonia Barry, Oklahoma State 

Potent Quotable: “You warn ‘em all season long, it’s a tough course, you gotta be conservative. You can tell them all you want, but (they) gotta go out and do it.”- Coach Dave Smith, talking about his freshman running the Cowboy Jamboree, 2010.