DANVILLE -- Tylor Barnhart has run in some pretty big races so far in his young career, but nothing compares to the race he'll be running in this summer.
Barnhart, a 17-year-old junior from Danville High School, will compete in the Down Under International Games' 12th USA vs. Australia 6K (3.6 miles) cross country meet to be held in mid-July.
In order to have the privilege of running down under, Barnhart first had to be nominated by either a coach or peer, and then he was selected by International Sports Specialists, Inc., based on his various accomplishments in cross country the past three years.
This past season Barnhart's biggest finish came during his second consecutive appearance in the PIAA Class AA championship race where he took 33rd in 17 minutes and 30 seconds.
He also took fifth in the District 4 meet in 17:03 and 19th in the Northeast PA Invitational in 17:53 held on the same Bloomsburg University course a month earlier.
Off the cross country course, Barnhart had a 39th-place finish in the Berwick Run for The Diamonds road race on Thanksgiving day this past year.
However, the race Down Under will undoubtedly be Barnhart's biggest challenge to date, and he's unabashedly anxious for it.
"I'm really excited and I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It's a great experience. Not too many kids get to run internationally as a high school student. It's good competition and I'm looking forward to see how I place.
"States and districts is one thing, but when you get invited to run internationally it's the best thing that could ever happen," Barnhart added. "It's not the little state of Pennsylvania, it's the whole world and other countries you'll be running against."
According to Barnhart, the layout of the International Games' course is both flat and hilly. It features all the amenities you would expect to see while running through the Australian Outback.
"They didn't go into great discussion about the course, but it has a little bit of everything," Barnhart said. "I'll be running through the Australian Outback, so it'll be exciting seeing wild animals and just seeing how their society works. Everything."
And while the race-time temperature is projected to be between 50-60 degrees, which is optimal running weather, Barnhart just has to worry about getting himself into cross country shape again.
"Coming right out of track and going into cross country, the training methods are different," Barnhart said. "Track is a lot of speed work, and for cross country there's a lot more distance and hills.
"I'll be increasing my distances and get up to 60-90 miles a week," Barnhart added. "I have two months to prepare. That's a lot of time so I'll be able to transition into the race."
To cover the expenses of the trip that costs roughly $5,000, Barnhart is taking donations and his family is holding a fundraiser -- a bingo with the main prize being a Vera Bradley purse.
Donations can be sent to: Tylor Barnhart, P.O. Box 81, Danville, Pa., 17821. Checks for donations should be made out to International Sports Specialists, Inc.
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Danville junior to compete in Australian international games
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