Cross Country Running

Introduction to Cross Country Running

Cross-country races will not be run at the same speed as track races, and so the runner who is lacking in pace may be able to compensate by their style and run closer to their maximum than the track runner who cannot adjust to the special needs of cross-country. Cross-country running requires a different stride length, a different leg action and a different foot plant from road & track running. These things cannot be picked up instantly; they will only become instinctive if the runner adopts specific cross-country training.

What is the Difference between Cross Country and Track?

There is a common misconception that cross-country and track is two very similar sports. However, the truth is that besides involving running, track and cross country have very little else in common. Track usually meets in the winter and spring, and encompasses a variety of events, including hurdles, sprints, distances, and relays. Runners compete on a designated lane in a quarter mile track made out of tire rubber, cement, or cinders. Cross country usually meets in the autumn, and involves running across natural terrain. Even the pace at which they run are different: track runners adjust their pace depending on what event they’re in, while cross country runners run more slowly because of the distance of their run.

History of Cross Country

Although the idea of competitive running is certainly not a modern concept, cross country as most people know it was officially created as a sport in England in the early 1800s. The first cross country competition was held in 1837, called the Crick Run. One popular version of cross country was a game called the “paper chase,” in which a runner or a group of runners would leave behind a random trail of paper or any other sort of marker for other runners to follow. Another early version of cross country was called “foot grind,” an unusual game in which runners raced across various points, but with no designated routes to follow; participants in this game, for example, could either choose to run around fences or jump over them.

Only towards the late 1800s did the sport developed into today’s style of racing. Runners would usually race across a fixed route of two or more miles, over trails, dirt, and grass. In America, the NCAA National Championship Races for men and the NCAA Women’s National Championship Races attracted droves of athletes eager to improve their stamina. In 1880, Harvard was the first college to introduce cross country as an autumn event for track and field, and other colleges soon began to follow suit. Cornell especially embraced the sport and took part in forming the first intercollegiate meet in 1890 between City College of New York, Cornell, and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as organizing the Intercollegiate Cross Country Association in 1898.

Article Reference List:

• http://www.gsspa.org
• http://www.brianmac.co.uk

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