The distance remains three miles, and low score wins, and the sixth runner is the tiebreaker.

Yet, with all that is familiar about cross country, this season, the one that is two races old, presents new challenges — and challengers — for the state's elite programs.

No change is more noticeable than Class AAAA, where the additions of Gallup and Miyamura high schools could bring an abrupt end to the dual-meet that was the state championships for the past decade.

"Nothing against the other programs, but it's about time it's not a dual anymore," Adam Kedge, Albuquerque Academy head coach, says. "You've had a spattering of individuals and you have Los Alamos and Academy."

It's true.

Albuquerque Academy owns 11 state championships in boys cross country, including 10 of the past 12. Los Alamos holds the other two titles, as well as 10 runner-up trophies.

"We're definitely happy about it," Kathy Hipwood says of the additions.

Hipwood shares the Los Alamos head coaching duties with her husband, Rob. The Lady Hilltoppers captured their 14th state title last season, which shares the all-time record for girls with Gallup.

Los Alamos stitched together state-championship runs of four and five years in a row, and houses seven of the past 10 titles.

"Good competition just makes everybody better," Hipwood says. "It's a positive challenge. It's going to bring more meaning to the state meet."

Gallup's state success is well-documented. The Bengals possess 18 championships, a big-school state record for boys. They reeled off 12 straight titles beginning in 1983 and wore the crown as recently as 2007, the final year of a three-peat.

All of Gallup's success came in the state's highest classification, which was AAAA until 2000, the year the state went to five classes. Before Gallup began its dynasty, Santa Fe High collected 12 state titles, evenly divided between boys and girls. Santa Fe High also dips into AAAA this season.

Santa Fe High says goodbye to Albuquerque La Cueva and Albuquerque Eldorado, who put chinks in the Gallup armor beginning in the mid-1990s, and hello to Albuquerque Academy, which usurped the Bengals as the best in the state — regardless of classification — under Kedge.

The Bengals' tradition makes them a threat. And with Felicia Guliford taking that tradition with her to Miyamura, also located in Gallup, Kedge sees a dogfight.

"Miyamura has a great, young, dynamic coach," Kedge says of Guliford, a four-time state cross country champion at Gallup in the late-1990s and early-2000s. "And Gallup is one of the traditional superpowers. There's great competition throughout, and we're really looking forward to it."

Why not?

Kedge doesn't plan to alter the Chargers' blueprint, one that not only brings state success, but national recognition.

"We'll continue to do the same core principals, and I'll continue to ride the wave of good, solid kids that I've had for years," Kedge says. "I know people won't like me saying this, but our team trials are as competitive as some of the smaller meets around the state."

There's more.

"Our jayvee is one of the top 10 teams in the state," Kedge says.

No brag, just fact.

Want proof?

The Chargers had the top five runners and scored a perfect 15 in the junior varsity division at Saturday's University of New Mexico Invitational. It was a race that included 133 runners.

It's why Academy reloads, while others rebuild.

It's why the Academy boys and Los Alamos girls enter as reigning state champions.

It's why both made auspicious debuts Saturday.

The Chargers captured the boys race by 63 points, which featured 29 teams, including the defending state champions in AAAAA and AAA. Only Gallup was missing.

The Lady Hilltoppers also were victorious, though theirs was a 10-point triumph.

"The goal is always to be the best," Kathy Hipwood says. "The pressure is there automatically. We try not to add to it. If anything, we try and downplay it.

"We just want them to go out and run with confidence and believe that they are in the mix."

The blend that is AAA extracted Bloomfield and added Shiprock, which drops a class. Then, the state shook up the districts, moving St. Michael's, Santa Fe Indian School and Pojoaque Valley into 4AAA, the home of Albuquerque Hope Christian and Albuquerque Sandia Prep.

All but Sandia Prep were at state a season ago for the boys race, though this year there will be an odd team out since only three teams qualify from each district.

Santa Fe Indian School, the reigning state champion, graduated three seniors. The Braves, under new head coach Cameron Stuber, were the top finisher among AAA team's at the UNM invite.

"We're not conceding anything to Indian School," Allan Lockridge, Pojoaque Valley head coach, says, "but we're not going to be a shoo-in."

That's qualifying, not winning state.

Pojoaque Valley was the state runner-up last season. St. Michael's finished sixth and Hope Christian ran seventh.

"We were a little ways out from Indian School," Lockridge says of the UNM invite. "Mike's picked up some people and they didn't look too bad. It's going to be competitive."

In boys.

And girls.

Zuni snipped the four-year, state-championship string belonging to the St. Michael's girls in 2009.

"Sometimes, it comes down to who's healthy at state," Lenny Gurule, St. Michael's head coach, says. "Who's ever best that day wins — no excuses."

The Lady Horsemen ran third, one spot behind Santa Fe Indian School and three spots ahead of Hope Christian. Pojoaque Valley finished seventh.

"Hope's put together some good teams," Gurule says. "It's going to be a more competitive district overall."

A district the Elkettes aren't quite ready for.

"It's been a while since I started over, but I'm starting over," Lockridge says of his girls. "Five weeks from now we might have a decent team."

Down the road for Santa Fe Preparatory, Pecos and Peñasco is a 13-team district in Class A-AA.

Gulp!

Unlike the rest of the state, though, five teams qualify for state from the four districts.

"Whoever finishes first and second in our district will have a very good chance of being on the podium at state," Jody LeFevers, Santa Fe Preparatory head coach, says.

The Peñasco, Pecos and Santa Fe Prep boys finished second, third and fifth, respectively, at state last season, while the Peñasco and Santa Fe Prep girls ran a respective third and fourth.

If the state's smallest classifications weren't deep enough, Laguna-Acoma makes its return to A-AA this year. The Hawks trophy case includes 19 boys and seven girls titles.

It's not just the finish line that matters this season.

It's who's on the starting line.