Jerome’s 10th Celtic Clash Invitational brings youth and high-school runners to Dublin

Young runners, high-school competitors and their families will arrive at the Jerome campus Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, for the 10th annual Celtic Clash Invitational. Racing at Dublin Jerome High School, 8300 Hyland-Croy Road, begins at 3:30 p.m. and continues into the night, with high-school awards scheduled for 10 p.m.

The first starting line belongs to sixth-grade-and-under girls. The schedule then moves through youth boys, middle-school open and varsity events, grade-level high-school open races and, at 9:30 p.m., the varsity boys finale. Registration has closed.

Race-day schedule

According to the Celtic Clash meet listing, girls and boys in sixth grade and under will race 3,200 meters. The full schedule is:

• 3:30 p.m.: Youth girls
• 4 p.m.: Youth boys
• 4:30 p.m.: Middle-school girls open
• 5 p.m.: Middle-school boys open
• 5:30 p.m.: Middle-school varsity girls
• 6 p.m.: Middle-school varsity boys
• 6:30 p.m.: Middle-school awards
• 6:40 p.m.: High-school girls 9/10 open
• 7:15 p.m.: High-school boys 9/10 open
• 7:50 p.m.: High-school girls 11/12 open
• 8:25 p.m.: High-school boys 11/12 open
• 9 p.m.: High-school varsity girls
• 9:30 p.m.: High-school varsity boys
• 10 p.m.: High-school awards

The top 15 runners in each race will receive medals. Races marked with a star on the event schedule will award trophies to the champion and runner-up teams. Middle-school awards will recognize the top two teams in the varsity races, while high-school awards will recognize the top two teams in each race.

Volunteers behind the meet

Jerome XC is asking parents and community members to help with Friday setup, Saturday setup and race-day duties, and Sunday teardown. The program asks parents to sign up for at least one shift.

Those volunteers prepare the campus, help keep Saturday’s races moving and clear the site after the final awards — the weekend work required to stage a full afternoon and evening of racing at Jerome.

Following the course

The home course offers spectators multiple places to watch. About a mile runs through woods lined with rope lighting, allowing families to follow the high-school open and varsity races after nightfall. The event page also provides QR-code directions to the designated spectator parking lot.

For the younger runners who open the meet, the day does not have to end at the finish line. They can move to the sidelines and watch middle-school and high-school athletes — all the way through the 9:30 p.m. varsity boys race — compete on the same Jerome course.