East Community Cross Country is a free summer training group for high school cross-country runners and Nordic skiers in Anchorage. The coaches and helpers are parents, former racers, and local athletes who want more kids on the trails.
The "East" is East Anchorage, where we're based, not East High School. Some of our volunteers coach at East and we practice there on Mondays, but ECXC is not run, sponsored, or governed by East, the Anchorage School District, or any club or business. Our athletes come from public schools, private schools, and homeschools all over the city.
Why we started
Amy Purevsuren and Geoff Wright started ECXC in 2026. School teams cover the racing seasons, cross-country running in the fall and skiing in the winter, and the summer in between is the athlete's problem. Anchorage's two big clubs, APU Nordic and Alaska Winter Stars†, train right through it, five or more days a week, and that coaching is worth every penny for the families who can manage it. Many can't. So we organized a free summer program. Volunteers coach three mornings a week, post workouts for the days between, and run a camp in July.
The summer at a glance
Group practice is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, June 1 to August 19. We run and do strength work most days, and some days the mountain bikes or roller skis come out. Monday is at East High; the other days we meet at Hillside, Kincaid, Bartlett, or out on the Chugach front range.
In late July the whole team goes to a lake near Talkeetna for four days of camp. The training page has the times, the gear list, and sign-up.
Who can join
Anyone entering 9th through 12th grade, plus graduates home from college for the summer. You don't have to be a skier; runners and athletes from other sports train right alongside. Some kids here are chasing Junior Nationals or Arctic Winter Games† spots, and some have never followed a training plan. The groups are sorted by pace, with an adult to run or ride with each one, so nobody is left chasing the fast kids.
What we ask
We ask three things of every athlete:
- Do the work. Come to practice and follow the plan between sessions. If school or family takes over for a week, tell a coach. We'd rather adjust your plan than watch you disappear.
- Give back. Everyone does some community service with the team, usually trail work or helping at a local race. We set up the chances; you show up.
- Take care of yourself. Sleep, food, and homework come before training, and we mean that. A kid running on five hours of sleep gets a different workout than the one on the schedule.
Risks & waiver
These sports can hurt you. Kids fall, gear breaks, and Anchorage trails come with moose. We manage risk; we can't remove it. Before a first practice, every athlete needs a signed liability waiver on file in CrewLAB. A parent or guardian signs for anyone under 18, and adults sign for themselves.
Costs & volunteers
Cost. Training and camp are free, and money never decides who joins. Families who want to give can; donations buy gas, campground nights, and shared gear, and outfit athletes who need skis or a ride. If cost is in the way of anything, tell a coach. We won't ask about your finances.
Volunteers. Adults make this work, drivers most of all, since practice moves between trailheads. The Volunteers page has this summer's coaches and the jobs we need filled. You don't need a coaching certificate or a ski background.
Getting started
Sign up in CrewLAB; the waiver and the schedule are there once you're in. If you want to ask something first, use the contact form.