South Sound XC — Documentary Coverage
SPSL / PSL / NPSL
XC Champs 2026
- Event
- SPSL 2A / PSL 3A / NPSL League Championships
- Date
- Sat, Oct 24, 2026 · 9:00 AM
- Location
- Fort Steilacoom Park, Lakewood WA
- Photographer
- Russell Moore
- Services
- Full-event documentary coverage — every race, every team — plus guaranteed private commissions (one athlete per heat)
Race Day — Sat, Oct 24
Two sessions, one park.
Morning: the SPSL 2A & PSL 3A League Championships. Afternoon: the NPSL Sub-District — a bi-classification meet with separate 3A and 4A varsity races and combined JV fields. Every race starts and finishes at Fort Steilacoom Park.
Session 1 — Morning · SPSL 2A / PSL 3A League Championships
- 9:15 AMBoys JV 5KCombined 2A SPSL & 3A PSL
- 9:45 AMBoys Varsity 5K3A PSL only
- 10:15 AMBoys Varsity 5K2A SPSL only
- 10:45 AMGirls Varsity 5K3A PSL only
- 11:15 AMGirls Varsity 5K2A SPSL only
- 11:45 AMGirls JV 5KCombined 2A SPSL & 3A PSL
- 12:15 PMBoys & Girls Unified / Ambulatory 2-MileCombined
Session 2 — Afternoon · NPSL Sub-District (3A & 4A)
- 12:45 PMBoys Varsity 5KNPSL 3A
- 1:15 PMBoys Varsity 5KNPSL 4A
- 1:45 PMGirls Varsity 5KNPSL 3A
- 2:15 PMGirls Varsity 5KNPSL 4A
- 2:45 PMBoys JV 5K & Boys Unified 2-MileJV combined 4A/3A
- 3:20 PMGirls JV 5K & Girls Unified 2-MileJV combined 4A/3A
3A Puget Sound League
12 teams — two divisions
Narrows Division
- Bellarmine Prep
- Central Kitsap
- Gig Harbor
- Lincoln (Tacoma)
- Mount Tahoma
- Silas
Nisqually Division
- Capital
- Lakes (Meet Host)
- North Thurston
- Peninsula
- River Ridge
- Timberline
2A South Puget Sound League
8 teams — single league
- Clover Park
- Eatonville
- Fife
- Foss
- Franklin Pierce
- Orting
- Steilacoom
- Washington
NPSL — 3A Division
8 teams — afternoon session
- Auburn Mountainview
- Enumclaw
- Federal Way
- Kent-Meridian
- Kentlake
- Thomas Jefferson
- Todd Beamer
- White River
NPSL — 4A Division
8 teams — afternoon session
- Auburn
- Auburn Riverside
- Kennedy Catholic
- Kentridge
- Kentwood
- Mount Rainier
- Stadium
- Tahoma
Pre-Race — Heat by Heat
Ones to Watch
The athletes from my photo archive at the schools on this meet's list, grouped by heat and ordered by current-season 5K times on Athletic.net, nothing more. This isn't the entry list, so I can't promise every name is on the line. Tap a card for the stats.
9:45 AM · Boys Varsity 5K · 3A PSL
10:15 AM · Boys Varsity 5K · 2A SPSL
10:45 AM · Girls Varsity 5K · 3A PSL
11:15 AM · Girls Varsity 5K · 2A SPSL
12:45 PM · Boys Varsity 5K · NPSL 3A
1:15 PM · Boys Varsity 5K · NPSL 4A
1:45 PM · Girls Varsity 5K · NPSL 3A
2:15 PM · Girls Varsity 5K · NPSL 4A
Notice of Operations — 2026 Season
The lens follows the race,
not the roster.
I'm on site for the full event — every race, every team, from the first gun to the last chute. But I'm done shooting volume galleries. No 2,000-frame dumps, no bib-searchable archives, no promise of a photo of every athlete who toes the line. That model produced a lot of files and very few photographs worth keeping. Covering the meet as a whole is not the same as photographing every individual in it.
What I shoot now is the meet itself — editorial, free-range, for the culture. The leader committing at the hairpin. The freshman closing on tired legs. The chute at the moment form gives out. I go where the story goes, and the story doesn't check start lists.
The documentary gallery from this meet will be a curated set of selects. Your athlete might be in it. That's the honest deal — and it's exactly why the channel below exists.
- EditorialCoverage follows the narrative of the race — no roster obligations.
- CuratedA tight set of selects, not a volume archive. Every frame earns its place.
- GuaranteedThe only way to guarantee your athlete: a private commission, booked before race day.
Guaranteed Coverage — Private Commission
One athlete. A dedicated shooting plan across multiple key course locations, worked around the editorial coverage. Delivered as a private, edited gallery.
What's guaranteed: I'll shoot your athlete's race with a plan built around multiple key locations. What's not: any single location. Meet officials control access, so if an area is closed or moved, I'll cover from the best position still open.
Commissions by heat · Sat Oct 24
- 9:15 AMBoys JV 5K · 2A SPSL & 3A PSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 9:45 AMBoys Varsity 5K · 3A PSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 10:15 AMBoys Varsity 5K · 2A SPSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 10:45 AMGirls Varsity 5K · 3A PSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 11:15 AMGirls Varsity 5K · 2A SPSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 11:45 AMGirls JV 5K · 2A SPSL & 3A PSLOpenClaim this heat →
- 12:15 PM2 Miles Unified / Ambulatory—
- 12:15 PM2 Miles Unified / Ambulatory—
- 12:45 PMBoys Varsity 5K · NPSL 3AOpenClaim this heat →
- 1:15 PMBoys Varsity 5K · NPSL 4AOpenClaim this heat →
- 1:45 PMGirls Varsity 5K · NPSL 3AOpenClaim this heat →
- 2:15 PMGirls Varsity 5K · NPSL 4AOpenClaim this heat →
- 2:45 PMBoys JV 5K · NPSL 4A & 3AOpenClaim this heat →
- 2:45 PM2 Miles Unified—
- 3:20 PMGirls JV 5K · NPSL 4A & 3AOpenClaim this heat →
- 3:20 PM2 Miles Unified—
One guaranteed athlete per heat, varsity and JV. If your heat is booked, email me: I'll consider extra athletes based on current times.
25% of every $350 commission ($87.50 per booking) goes directly to the WSCCCA Coaches Scholarship Fund — valid across Russell's 2026 season coverage, through Leagues and Districts, for bookings made directly through russell-moore.com. WSCCCA Scholarship Fund →
Know Where To Stand
The Course
The 5K course at Fort Steilacoom Park. Use the layers to switch between satellite and line views, and to see where spectators can stand.
North is up. Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP via USGS The National Map. It shows land cover from when it was flown and may differ on race day. Route and spectator spots are approximate.
Hot spot
Mile 1
Mile 1. This is where the bulk of people will go after the start. Follow the herd.
Fairly quiet spot
Just past mile 1
Just past mile 1. Plenty of time to get there from the start and get back to the finish.
Quiet spot
Fall colors
Really pretty this time of year, wood fenced and lined with fall colors all around.
Post-Race
The Documentary Gallery
Coverage pending — selects drop within 72h of the final race
Looking for SPSL/PSL/NPSL Championships 2026 photos? This page is where they land. The curated gallery from Fort Steilacoom Park publishes right here within 72 hours of the final race — free to browse, personal-use licensing on every frame. Running in the 4A meet on Oct 22? That gallery lives here.
Curated selects from the meet — the story as I found it. This is not a bib-searchable volume archive, and inclusion isn't guaranteed. Media and commercial use by arrangement.
Get Gallery Notifications →Gallery not live yet? Open the link, click View Gallery, and enter your email — you'll be added to the notification list and emailed the moment the selects publish.
Need certainty instead of luck? Book guaranteed coverage before race day →
Straight Answers
FAQ
Will there be photos of every athlete at this meet?
No. I cover the full event — every race, every team — but coverage is editorial and follows the story of the race, not the roster. That's documentary coverage of the meet as a whole, not a guarantee of individual photos of every athlete. Guaranteed photos of a specific athlete require a private commission booked before race day.
How do I guarantee photos of my athlete?
Book a Guaranteed Coverage Commission above. Each heat takes one guaranteed athlete, varsity and JV. If your heat is already booked, email me and I'll consider extra athletes based on current times. Commissions close Tuesday, Oct 20 at 1:00 PM.
When does the documentary gallery go live?
Curated selects publish within 72 hours of the final race. The gallery button on this page activates automatically when they're up.
Can I use the photos commercially?
Gallery images are licensed for personal use. Media, school, and commercial licensing is available — get in touch through the main site.
Does any of my commission fee go anywhere besides your business?
Yes. For every commission booked at $350 directly through russell-moore.com, 25% — $87.50 per booking — goes directly to the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association (WSCCCA) Coaches Scholarship Fund. This applies across Russell's 2026 season coverage, through Leagues and Districts.
