Stop confusing track and cross country

Thinking that track and cross-country are the same is like thinking that football and rugby are the same; both sports are completely different and once you observe their meets, that difference becomes apparent.

Both sports include running and meets, but there’s more to each sport than those two aspects.

Cross country involves more running and a stronger emphasis on maintaining pace.

During the season, cross country usually does training on hills because they run in natural terrain, unlike track, which involves running on a track. Cross country courses differ with location and locations with less hills are usually a favorite among runners because they are not as tiring.

In track, distance runners have to focus on speeding up on the last lap and saving some energy to get a great kick in the last hundred meters.

The two sports have different events at meets as well. Cross country meets only involve one event, which is the three-mile race. There are four races during league meets which include the junior varsity boys and girls, and then the varsity girls and boys. In track, there are four races for long distance: open boys and girls, and then varsity girls and boys. The events are the one mile (1600 meters), 800 meters, and two mile (3200 meters). Distance runners have to be able to rest between races so they don’t tire out in their next race.

HS Insider, Los Angeles Times, "For Students, By Students", article by JENNA ORTIZ, NOVEMBER 19, 2015

http://highschool.latimes.com/bonita-high-school/stop-confusing-track-and-cross-country/