Track vs Cross Country

           Many people outside the running community do not realize that track and cross country are  two totally different sports.

           According to Mr. Banks, “Cross country is one race, where few people get awards, and there are seven people per team. The distance traveled is 3.1 miles and everyone is racing at the same time.  Track, on the other hand, has multiple events where multiple people receive  awards and a race can be  anywhere from 55 meters to 3,200 meters. Because of the nature of the race track is more of an individual sport instead of a team sport.”

           Anna Claire Piersiak, who has been running both track and cross country for four years,   explained, “With cross country we run outside in the woods and grass, while with track we run inside on a track. There is more than one event in track whereas in cross country you only run in one race that day.”

         When asked if runners need different skills for cross country and track, Piersiak said, “Anyone can run both, but in track you can either be a distance runner or a sprinter.”  The cross country race is considerd a distance event, while the longer distances in track are also geared towards distance runners.

         Like any sport, both cross country and track have their own challenging aspects. While the difficulties in track lie in the time and effort that runners must contribute, the rigorousness of cross country involves the endurance that is needed to run on rugged terrain, such as hills.

          One aspect of cross country involves the hectic meets.  “Most of the time it’s all go go go from the time we get there to the time we leave,” said Piersiak. Once the runners arrive they must warm up and stretch to prepare for their races, and then go to support their other team members.