I love running cross country. The training, the practices, the races, everything is a wonderful experience. If you’re not familiar with the sport of cross country, you need to watch a race to fully understand what it’s all about. Imagine your favorite sport. Now invite all the best teams and all the stars to play at the same time on the same field. This is what a cross country championship is like.
Let’s start with what a cross country race is. The distance of a cross country run varies from high school to college, but is generally between 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). All runners start at the same time. The first runner to reach the finish line wins.
Finding out which team wins is also pretty simple. Most team races allow seven to twelve riders on each team. The top five finishers from each team count toward their team points. The team with the lowest point total wins. In a perfect race, the team would finish 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. This would give the team a total of 15 points. Races can have just two teams competing head-to-head, or for the really big invites, more than 50 teams can all compete at the same time.
Another reason why cross country is so unique is that all the runners are racing against each other at the same time. Imagine taking the best track racers and letting them race against each other. That is what happens. Many high school and college cross country teams have excellent long- and middle-distance runners who compete together. The 400 meter to 2 mile runner on the track team will make a high school team. In college, it’s usually the track runners 1 mile and up that make the cross country team.
The training for the sport is also unique. Often many of their training runs are on the trails or in hilly terrain. I have been able to run on so many beautiful state park trails because of cross country. To improve, you have to gradually increase the amount you run. This way you avoid injuries, but you get your stamina level to incredible levels after months of training.
Finally comes the season of championship racing. At the end of the season, there are two big races. First comes the qualifying race for the championship. In this race, only a select few teams and the top finishers qualify for the championship race. For the final race of the season, the best individuals and teams come together. It’s like the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl rolled into one event. As a competitor, you get to compete against the best of the best. As a spectator, you can watch a great individual race and see the teams battle it out in the middle of the pack.
In the fall, check out where your local high school team competes or where your local home college meets. Seeing a race in person is a unique experience. If you’re not sure about joining your high school team, I guarantee you won’t regret it. Cross country running brings out the best in people. There’s something about working together toward a common goal that stays with you for a lifetime.