Hundreds of participants ran the 43rd annual Summer Series Cross Country race Thursday evening on the 3-mile course, winding through the college campus and local trails.

An estimated 350 runners toed the line of the first race of the annual Cross Country Summer Series held at College of the Canyons, ready to run the three mile course.

The race, beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday evening, was the first race in a series of seven occurring through August.

The series draws runners from all across Southern California, and features athletes of all ages and fitness levels.

The overall male winner was C.J. Albertson in a time of 14 minutes and 53 seconds.  The overall female winner was Chelsey Totten, finishing in 17 minutes and 13 seconds over the hilly race.

The 3-mile course starts on the College of the Canyons baseball field, and winds through the campus for the first mile.

Racers then run on the dirt trails and hills that run parallel to the I-5 freeway.

The second mile features numerous uphill and downhill climbs, featuring “Killer Hill,” infamously dubbed by local runners.

The last mile is a combination of dirt and asphalt sloping downhill, eventually finishing on the college’s track for the final 300 meters.

The event is chip timed, meaning athletes finishing times are instantly and accurately recorded.

The Summer Series races take place every Thursday beginning at 7 p.m. They will be happening every week until the Finals Race on August 18.

The Summer Series also features a Kid’s Fun Run for youth athletes who can not complete the entire cross country course.

Kids may enter the Fun Run for $2. They will receive a participation ribbon for running a lap around the COC track.

Each Summer Series race costs $10 to enter, but a summer series card may be bought for all seven races at a discounted price of $50.

The final race of the series costs $20 to run, and has a celebratory dinner and awards ceremony afterwards.

Awards are given based on finishing place in the runner’s age group and gender class.

Runners must participate in a minimum of three summer series races to be eligible for awards.

For full results from Race No. 1 of the College of the Canyons Summer series, click here.

More information about the COC Summer Series may be found here.