Every turn, every straight away, every hill.

Snow on the ground. Snow in the air.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national cross country championship field at Lakeside Golf Course inside John F. Kennedy Memorial Park Saturday quickly learned just how unpredictable Mother Nature can be.

“I saw a personal record for snowmen in one spot,” laughed Iowa Central cross country coach Dee Brown. “It was quite a sight, seeing snowmen on a cross country course, kind of like ‘spectators’ as runners would go by. There were a lot of hats and gloves. It was an experience these kids will never forget.

-Photo courtesy of Iowa Central Athletics
A Snow College runner, Jake Seegmiller, competes during the NJCAA national cross country championships Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course inside John F. Kennedy Memorial Park. Snow College is located in Ephraim, Utah.

“It was almost comical at times, seeing people and runners slipping and sliding around.”

The weather in Fort Dodge on Friday saw temperatures in the upper 50s — mild for the first week of November. Things quickly changed on Saturday at Kennedy Park, though, as over 1,500 competitors from all over the country were greeted by conditions that made national news.

Iowa Central was hosting the Division I, II, and III NJCAA national championships. Nearly three inches of snow persistently fell from Saturday morning through the afternoon hours, with temperatures hovering right around the freezing mark.

Runners had no choice but to grin and brave the elements.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Brown, who has been a coach at Iowa Central for nearly 25 years. “The snow started to come down really hard, and I couldn’t see at times. While the runners were competing, they couldn’t see the white lines (for the direction of the course).

-Photo courtesy of Iowa Central Athletics
Runners follow a trail of snow during the NJCAA national cross country championships at Lakeside Golf Course Saturday inside John F. Kennedy Memorial Park north of Fort Dodge.

“I had to pass the lead cart in mine to try and clear off the lines so there was a clear path for the runners. It was stressful, but I made a promise to give them an experience they would never forget for all the right reasons.”

The inclement weather rolled in early Saturday morning.

“I headed into (Fort Dodge) at 6 a.m. and the snow was already hitting the windshield,” Brown said. “There was way more snow than I thought, and it was sticking to the ground. People started showing up and were just like, wow.”

The conditions were difficult to prepare for in real time, and even harder to maintain as the day progressed and the athletes pressed on.

“It was really cold, too. I called my wife multiple times to bring warmer clothes,” Brown said. “By the end of the sixth race (late afternoon on Saturday), it was slick, sloppy and muddy. We couldn’t do a lot about the course as more and more runners used it and the snow continued to fall.”

-Photo courtesy of Iowa Central Athletics
Runners take off during the NJCAA national cross country championships at Lakeside Golf Course inside John F. Kennedy Memorial Park on Saturday.

With a busy day already planned for Iowa Central athletics — a home football game took place at Dodger Stadium, and a two-day women’s and men’s basketball tournament concluded inside Hodges Fieldhouse — it was all hands on deck for the school.

“Toby Beneke (Iowa Central grounds coordinator) would host it every year,” Brown said. “He was great at helping find everything and keeping everything running smoothly.

“Kerrie Kuiper (executive director of Visit Fort Dodge) was a rock star, helping trouble shooting things as well. We just had so much great help to make sure we were making the most out of the situation.”

Brown also thanked the efforts of Lakeside Golf Course Superintendent Chad Graaf and his crew.

“Chad will do anything to help this run smoothly,” Brown said. “He’s a great resource, and was always there with a helping hand before, during and after the races.

“I also want to thank the course marshals that were here from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., too. And a big thanks goes out to everyone who helped the spectators and all of the runners.”

A lot of teams are in Fort Dodge through Tuesday, as the Tritons will also host the NJCAA National Half-Marathon Championships.

“Runners will get the true feel of Iowa weather in the fall on Tuesday when it warms up,” Brown said. “It will be a little warmer and the conditions will be a lot better.”