Track and Cross Country Running

    Have you ever wondered what the difference was between track and cross country running? Many are unaware of the vast differences and similarities between these two popular sports. While track and cross country are quite similar, there are some things that set them apart, creating two fun and unique sports.
    Track and cross country running have been popular sports, each with it’s own, unique strategies and training methods. Although they sound similar, track and cross country can be very different.
    One of the simpler of the two sports is track. Track is not only running, as some may think, it also includes a variety of field events like shotput, discus, long jump, and high jump. In the running events, a runner sprints or jogs in a circle of a total 400 meters. The track is made of tire rubber to make it a little softer for the athletes.  Runners use lanes, normally there is a total of 8,  that runners must stay in (depending on the event) or else they are disqualified. Other than relays, track is mostly an independent sport.
    Cross country is a sport that takes total commitment. Cross country is a sport in which runners jog a course mapped out around a certain geological area. The average length of an average cross country track for a high school athlete is around 3 miles. The runners go through all sorts of terrain, such as valleys, mountains, forests, and etc. Runners in this sport set themselves at a slower pace to avoid dying out  towards the finish. Cross country is known more as a team sport because all the athletes train together (from the same school) and can run with their teammates.
    The similarities between these two sports are very interesting. Both sports involve a lot of running, whether it’s multiple 100 meter sprints or daily 3 mile jogs. Much practice is needed to be successful in the events you compete in, so practice is a “must.”  Before both of the sports, coaches should and do require a lot of stretching.     Stretching should be done before practice and before events that the runners will compete in to keep their muscles warm and ready. In either of the two sports, athletes can lift weights to build muscle and gain endurance. Of course, both events in both of the sports, are started by a gunshot. Both of the sports require athletes to spend hours training, whether running or weightlifting, and both sports build good relationships between friends and the teams become like family.
    If you happen to run cross country and are looking for another sport in your future, I would recommend track. Track is a fun sport that helps you gain more social smarts. Cross country and track are so similar, that many athletes choose to do both and love them both equally. Of course, if you like to run long distances and prefer not to do any sprints, then I would definitely recommend cross country for you. So, while they are quite different, each sport has it’s own way to train and equip students to compete in running or field events.