Cross-country running: the most underrated sport out there

I love cross country running. The training, the workouts, the races make it a wonderful experience. If you are unfamiliar with cross country sport, you need to watch a race to fully understand what it is all about. Imagine your favorite sport. Now he invites the best teams and all the stars to play at the same time on the same field. This is a cross country championship.

Let’s start with what a cross country race is. The distance of a cross-country race varies from high school to college, but is typically between 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). All runners go out at the same time. The first runner to reach the finish line wins.

Finding out which team wins is pretty straightforward too. Most team races allow seven to twelve runners on each team. The top five finalists from each team count towards their team’s points. The team with the lowest total points 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 cross country is so unique is that all runners compete 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 medium distance runners running together. People from the 400 meter run to the 2 mile runners on the track team will form a high school team. In college, it is usually track runners 1 mile and up that make up the cross country team.

Training for this sport is also unique. Often times, many of your training runs are on the trails or running through hilly terrain. I have been able to run on many beautiful state park trails because of the cross country. To improve, you must accumulate the amount that you run gradually. This way you avoid injuries, but take your resistance level to incredible levels after months of training.

Championship season finally arrives. At the end of the season, there are two great 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 in one event. As a competitor, you can race against the best of the best. As a spectator, you can watch a great individual race and watch the teams fight in the middle of the group.

In the fall, check out where your local high school team competes or where the local college holds its matches at home. Seeing a race in person is a unique experience. If you’re unsure about joining your high school team, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Cross country running brings out the best in people. Working together to achieve a common goal has something that will stay with you for a lifetime.