More than 80 female runners from eleven schools from across Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium, begin their 5,000-meter race in Vilseck, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
VILSECK, Germany – The cross country season has just kicked off and hundreds of distance runners have already gathered for their biggest in-season race of the year.
More than 200 runners from thirteen schools across Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany battled rain, mud, and slick hills Saturday as they powered through a challenging 5,000-meter course at Rose Barracks.
With many of last season’s individual top contenders absent, as well as the formidable Stuttgart Panthers team, the race felt like anyone’s for the taking.
Seth Leishman, a senior from Frankfurt International, won the boys event in 17 minutes, 14 seconds. Helene Orstavik from Zurich International won the girls race, crossing the line at 20:54.
Both runners dominated the competition, securing victories with impressive leads at the finish line.
“I was excited to race against Luke again and try and get some good times with him. I wasn’t really ready to be running alone,” Leishman said, referring to Wiesbaden’s Luke Jones, the three-time defending DODEA-Europe boys champion who decided to not compete his senior season.
Leishman finished fifth at the championship site in Baumholder last year. Now, with Saturday’s race marking the start of his final cross country season, Leishman is confident this is just the beginning of a great year.
“Last year I started with a PR and didn’t break that the entire season. I think it’s good to start a bit higher and have somewhere to work from,” he said.
Zurich International's Helene Orstavik races to cross the finish line during an international meet in Vilseck on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
A runner embraces a supporter after completing the grueling 5,000-meter cross country course at Rose Barracks, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
More than 130 male runners from thirteen schools from across Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium, begin their 5,000-meter race in Vilseck, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Frankfurt International senior Seth Leishman smiles while taking first place in a large cross country meet on Rose Barracks, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Zurich International School cross country runners cheer on their male teammates crossing the finish line Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
Hohenfels senior Jalissa Jobity watches as runners cross the finish line after finishing second in a cross country meet on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)
On the other end, Orstavik’s coach, Brook Mullens, encouraged her to begin competing this season after recognizing her potential and enjoyment for running in his physical education class.
“She was running within herself today. She worked hard, but she had another gear she could have dug down for if she needed,” Mullens said. “Two weekends ago, she raced in the Norwegian junior championships in the 800 meters and the 2,000 meters. Only in the last year has she picked up running.”
The Hohenfels Tigers’ dynamic twin duo, Jalissa and Malea Jobity, trailed the leader for second and third place. The two are determined to fight their way back into the top 10 for this year’s individual crown.
The sisters revealed that their strategy for success in their final season is entirely mental.
“Having the mentality that even though there’s so many people there, it’s all about running our own race and not getting distracted by other people and trying to run their race,” Malea Jobity said.
“It’s nice to see our friends here, but when it’s time to race, it’s just about blocking everything out and focusing on yourself and what you can control,” Jalissa Jobity added.
Although they don’t plan to continue their running careers in college, the sisters emphasized that running will always hold a special place in their lives. Before the season ends, they’re determined to set new personal records.
They’ll have five more weeks in which to do so as the season concludes Oct. 26 in Baumholder.
