Cross Country Running - Race Strategy

This is what the great cross country runners do during a race.

1. Cross Country Runners use their team mates during a race, and XC runners use other teams or other runners during a race. You can work together or you can draft off another runner.

2. CC Running Race Tip number two. Run the curves smart. If you have two turns in a row, run the tangent. That means, take the shortest route possible for every bend and series of curves. Stay on the inside of the curve.

3. Pick a place to make some surges. The easiest places, although CC running is never easy, is at the bottom of a hill, or around a blind turn. Push the pace to pass people or to separate from another runner.

4. Kick earlier. To run a great time, try pushing it and sprinting earlier than you normally would. You might surprise yourself.

Happy Trails,

Coach Tief

[sophieirwin]

2 mins after I finish a cross county race I always think I could of done better and I want to do it again even through I did fine

[brianyeager]

I really like the first tip to use other team mates during the race. The only problem is my team suffers a great deal of variety - all seven of us have different ranges of capability and rarely see each other after the half-mile mark

[ethancozine]

How I was taught to run cross country: Sprint at the beginning and get to the front pack, then settle into your pace. Try and run with a teammate if you can, but if you need to go ahead then go. Run behind someone in head on winds. Pass on the outside of turns.(The natural response is to look back when someone is behind you. Looking back on the outside is a lot more difficult and can throw off their stride.) Don't look back for anything, and focus on passing the next person, not on what's behind you. Try to keep the same pace the entire race. Pass on hills and surge off the top of them. Even on flat parts, surge, because at some point your going to be going the same pace as other people. Let your legs go on downhill and surge off the bottom. 600 to 400 meters from the finish pick up your pace and the last 100 meters sprint like your life depended on it. Also, don't let the weather distract you in any way. If there's a puddle across the entire width of the course, run right through it. If it's raining or snowing out, run through it with a smile.

[mattbarnes]

This race is just like  track with grass and trees. British cross country is real. Mud, hills and poor weather :))

[nickmudd]

Could you possibly make a video on how to kick hard a the finish in cross country. If you have time. Thank you.

[SuperBaseballCrazy]

I think with the kick it all depends on your strengths for me I have very little extra speed, I just don't have that next gear. So I really try to start getting the speed up with a mile to go and get some separation, and truly kick at 800.

[brooke]

Thank you so much! My first meet is on Saturday! Wish me Luck!

[mattlukasik]

I always (start my kick) with 800-400 to go it helps me drop a lot of people

[nerd_alert]

I have a meet on friday. Thank you for this!

[sam]

great tips uses the runners to block the wind and also uses the shortest distance by ridding the tangent to the curve. Great tips

[nevaehkelso]

I’m really scared to do this for so many reasons

[avakelleher]

gosh just thinking about my upcoming meets gives me anxiety lol i love xc but just thinking of meets gets my heart pumping and chest tight

[zoegreen]

People who run xc are like ah it's so hard then there's me
*i run fell 😂😓*

[dnyaneshwarthakre]

cross country race alwayas fine during race, your tips useful

[jber]

If you've got enough left to kick full out with 100 or 150 to go, you didn't run nearly hard enough earlier in the race.

[kitefn]

My cross country was today and I was in third but then with 5 seconds left and got first. Just have a final burst at the end.

[aamodpradhan]

My startegey:sprint at the start so you get a good lead or in the top five then in the middle find a good fast pace and regain energy near the end spring again
(Try and keep up with a fast teammate and run together)

[brke]

An idea I have is I was in 6th grade and I did cross country and quit but I rejoined I’m in 8th grade and what I did was In the beginning of the season try running for speed not like sprint but go at a faster pace a little out of your comfort zone then naturally you will stop walking go faster and repeat

[bugx]

I was told that you shouldn’t sprint at the start of the race because everyone who does is wasting more energy than they need to and you’ll most likely end up passing some of them after awhile.

[vapor]

I love running on practises but hate meets because everyone is a try hard and I always get last