What Is Cross-Country Running All About?

Cross-country is a unique running sport that takes place in open fields. You may have seen large groups of runners racing through parks, meadows or even golf courses and wondered what it's all about. Although it's a race, similar in ways to road racing and track running, cross-country is a distinctive sport of its own.

  1. History

    • The origins of cross-country running go back to 19th century England where children played a game in which they imitated hare hunters, or harriers. Two runners would act as "hares" running ahead and leaving a trail of shredded paper through the countryside. A pack of runners acting as the "harriers" would set out 10 minutes or so later, running through meadows, woods and even across water as they attempted to catch the "hares."

    The Course

    • The modern sport of cross-country takes the form of an off-road race, usually across grassed fields. According to USA Track and Field competition rules, the course should be marked with red flags to indicate left turns, yellow flags to indicate right turns and blue flags to indicate a straightaway. The course must also be marked with a white chalk line. Courses may be hilly and cross water, but USATF states that courses should avoid high obstacles, deep ditches, thick undergrowth and other overly difficult obstacles.

    Distances

    • Cross-country races come in a variety of distances. At the upper end of the spectrum, USATF uses a 7.5-mile race for men in international competitions and a 5-mile race for women. The typical distance run by high school cross-country runners, on the other hand, is 3.1 miles, and in some states girls run just 2.5 miles.

    Strategy

    • In track and road racing, it can be advantageous to start slow and save something for your kick, but in cross-country the advantage goes to the runner who starts out strong. This is because narrow portions of the course can cause bottlenecks, slowing down runners in the middle and back of the pack. Front-runners can avoid these bottlenecks and put significant distance between themselves and the middle of the pack.