in 1913 out of parts of existing trails, was renovated in 1997 for $2 million, receiving a new layer of asphalt and stone to cover a tangle of "muddy ruts and jutting roots and rocks" that were breaking runners' ankles. However, by 2013, the trail was starting to show signs of deterioration. The park is used for the Northeast regional championships of the Foot Locker Cross-Country Championships. The cross-country trail is used for the Manhattan College Invitational, one of the largest high school cross-country meets in the nation. In 2006, the USA Cross-Country Championships were held at Van Cortlandt and organized by USATF and New York Road Runners. The tracks are used not only by local high schools, but also for many college races. It is the home course for Fordham University; Iona College; New York University; and Manhattan College, located across the street. The college course is long, crossing the Henry Hudson Parkway at one point. This course was renovated in 1997 for almost $1 million. The 1968 and 1969 NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship was hosted by Manhattan College at the park. The events were attended by about 10,000 people, and the championship race was long. In addition, Van Cortlandt is the venue for the annual IC4A or Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (ICAAAA) cross country championships. City's only Canadian football game On December 11, 1909, the Hamilton Tigers and the Ottawa Rough Riders (later of the Canadian Football League), played an exhibition game at Van Cortlandt Park. Sponsored by the New York Herald, the game garnered between 5,000 and 30,000 spectators as Hamilton defeated Ottawa, 11-6. The Canadian Football League's influence in the U.S. did not change after the match, and no subsequent exhibition games were played in the city. However, it was notable for being the first elite Canadian football game to be played in the U.S. Management Before 1992, there was no private maintenance of the park. The earliest efforts for such a thing date to 1983, when an administrator was appointed to oversee both Van Cortlandt and Pelham Bay Parks. Though NYC Parks owns and operates the park, until 2019 maintenance was handled by two separate nonprofit organizations. Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, a private nonprofit organization founded in 2009, managed educational and cultural programs, and maintains the recreational areas. The Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, an independent nonprofit established in