They call it “The Hill.”

It’s a steep grade on a gravel road 7 miles north of Powell, just off Lane 3 as it winds out of Elk Basin Road. “The Hill” is where Powell cross country runners go to prepare for the toughest races at the end of the season.

“If they can run this, they can run any hill in the state,” said head coach Cliff Boos.

The cross country teams have three races left on their schedule. They host their only home meet today (Thursday) at the Powell Golf Club. The Conference meet is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17, in Afton. Star Valley High School will host it.

The season concludes Saturday, Oct. 25, in Sheridan with the Class 3A State Meet. Those last courses promise to pose a challenge for the thinclads, and Boos knows how to prepare his kids.

“The Hill” does that for him.

“We’ve been running it for a long, long, long time,” he said. “All the years we’ve had cross country and we did it in track. It’s just such good training. Good hills. It’s so good for your cardio-vascular.”

The cross country teams hit “The Hill” on Tuesday. It was a clear, rather warm day, which is not ideal for distance running, but the high school athletes were excited about running the incline. They ride a school bus there but it parks at the far end of the road.

They then walk a half mile on a flat surface before they come to the uphill grade. That’s when they take off running, winding up the gravel to the top of the bench before turning around.

And doing it again. And again.

“You have a very gradual incline so the kids can run good, hard and fast,” said Boos, who casually strolls the road, offering encouragement and carrying a jug of water.

“It just makes a super workout,” he said. “And the kids really ask for it.”

On Tuesday, senior Ben Wetzel, who is returning to top condition after a season-long issue with foot pain, ran “The Hill” alongside teammates Matthew Waite, a sophomore who has paced the PHS boys all season, and junior Alex Aguirre, who has bounced back after a difficult 2013 season.

“Hot,” Wetzel said when asked about the workout.

“It burns,” Aguirre said.

But then they were off again, striding to the top of the bench before turning around and coming back down. Later, the runners would do sprints.

“It’s not just conditioning,” Boos said. “Distance running is about confidence. Running this gives them that.”

The cross country teams want to be in top condition for their home meet and Boos said after eight weeks, they are in excellent shape. They also hope for a replica of last year’s weather, when the race was held in cool, misty conditions.

Senior Bailey Sanders, who has paced the team all season, said she is pumped for today’s meet.

“We have one of the best courses in the state,” Sanders said while taking a short break on 'The Hill.' “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Wetzel said he liked running at home.

“We can go to class, have lunch as usual and be running at 4, like always,” he said.

Aguirre said that’s a benefit to being at home. There’s no travel involved — and the team knows the course well. The golf course is a lush, green location for a meet and offers viewing opportunities for fans and a nice, fast surface for the runners.

Which is not the case with “The Hill.” But for Powell High School’s runners, they have to get up that daunting road before they can aim for the biggest meets of the year.

PHS cross country runners, from left, Ben Wetzel, Alex Aguirre and Matthew Waite climb ‘The Hill’ Tuesday.