Always looking to combine my Cases with nearby “Faces,” “Places” and “Races,” I was lucky enough to participate in the McDonalds Maymont Park Cross Country Festival tonight after a full day of meetings with doctors and lawyers at the VTLA Brain Injury retreat. Teams from all over Virginia ran the very challenging course over the several days of events. There were races and distances for runners of all ages, and the scenic course was hilly, curvy and carpeted where it crossed the service roads, so that runners’ spikes wold not get ruined. Several hundred runners took part in the “Open” event Friday evening, after watching the elementary school races . Having never run in Maymont, I was glad for the chance to see this terrific park. It was also a chance to run on grass (there were no obstacles) and see some of the best high school talent afterwards. Plus, cross country running on a well-marked (and even roped off) course like this is a great change of pace from a steady diet of road races. The Richmond Sports Backers, as always, did a wonderful job, with plenty of excellent volunteers and spectators.