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History Cross country running as an organised sport originates from England. In the early 1800s cross country was practiced in public schools, especially Rugby. In 1851, undergraduates at Exeter College, Oxford organised a foot grind. This was an analogy with steeple chasing on horse where a race would be held towards the nearest church steeple, forcing riders to clear rural obstacles such as hedges, fences, and ditches. A two-mile cross country steeplechase formed part of the Oxford University sports (in which many of the modern athletics events were founded) in 1860, but replaced in 1865 by an event over barriers on a flat fields, which became the modern steeplechase in athletics. In 1868, members of Thames Rowing Club looking for winter exercise (when rowing did not take place then) formed Thames Hare and Hounds* in Roehampton on the south-west fringes of London and adjoining Wimbledon Common on which cross-country races were staged. They were joined by Peckham Hare and Hounds in 1869 (which became Blackheath Harriers in 1880), Cheshire Tally Ho Hare and Hounds in 1872, Birchfield Harriers 1877, Cambridge University Hare and Hounds in 1880, and Ranelagh Harriers in 1881. The English Cross Country Union followed in 1883 which introduced the National Championships. Most of these early clubs continue to thrive to this day. The reason for the names associated with hunting is that in many of the early matches, the course was set by paper chasing: a few runners (the hares) would have a start on the bulk of the field (the hounds), and lay a 'scent' by scattering a paper trail behind them which the hounds would follow. Racing would take place between the hares and the hounds and within the hounds themselves. Because of the obvious nuisance this can generate, this form of racing was largely discontinued quite early on. Occasional matches still take place, by Cheshire Tally Ho and the popular Hash House Harriers, for example. However, from an early date steeplechases and championship races also took place over fixed courses, as today. In 1878, the sport was introduced into the United States by William C. Vosburgh. At first, the sport served mainly as training for summer track and field athletics. Nine years later, cross country running became a formal sport in the United States. Despite the international popularity of cross-country, the sport was dropped from the Olympic Games after 1924 due to it being an inappropriate summer sport. In the 1960s, the International Amateur Athletic Federation, which regulates cross-country running, allowed women to run for the first time. The sport is still popular in temperate countries. Internationally, the IAAF organises the World Cross Country Championships, which is perhaps the best quality distance race that takes place as it attracts runners who normally specialise in only one or two track or road distances. In recent years the type of course at this event has changed, moving from the traditional form to faster, drier courses. Courses and distances
Scoring Cross country running is normally scored on a team basis. Points are awarded to individual runners equal to the position in which they cross the finish line (first place gets 1 point, second place gets 2 points, etc). Only the first runners in for a team up to a limit (often five, six through ten or 12 are possible, and in mob-matches-whole club competitions- the limit can be much larger) are counted towards that team's score. Teams are awarded ranks based on the number of points their top runners have, with lowest being best (similar to golf). The rules in the event of a tie vary depending on the competition; often the team that closes scoring first wins, though in the US NCAA ties are possible. The lowest possible score in a five-to-score match is 15 (1+2+3+4+5), achieved by a team's runners finishing in each of the top five positions. If there is a single opposing team then they would have a score of 40 (6+7+8+9+10), which can be considered a "sweep" for the winning team. In some competitions the placings include non-scoring runners (and so are sometimes known as "pushers" or "displacers" , in others this does not happen; so in the above match, if there are two non-scoring runners and they came 6th and 7th overall, the opponent's score would be 50 (8+9+10+11+12). Accordingly, the official score of a forfeited dual meet is 15-50. Equipment Cross-country running involves very little specialist equipment. Unless it is particularly cold, most races are run in shorts and vest or singlet (usually in club or school colours). Footwear is usually a pair of spikes, which is a light running shoe with a fairly rigid rubber sole into which spikes can be screwed. Which length of spikes are used depends on the conditions and varies from 6 mm to 15 mm, (.25 to .5 inches). Studded shoes, known as flats, where the sole is made from rubber moulded into patterns of studs (spikeless racing cleats), are often used on drier courses. Notable athletes Several athletes have won three or more individual titles at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships: Carlos Lopes, the first man to win three times; John Ngugi, the first man to win five times; Paul Tergat, the first man to win five times in a row; Kenenisa Bekele, the only man to win the short and long courses each five times in five years. After the 2006 Championships, he indicated that it may have been his last time competing at World Cross. In recent years, international cross-country has been dominated by eastern Africans, particularly those representing Kenya and Ethiopia. Grete Waitz, the first woman to win five times; Lynn Jennings, who won three times; Derartu Tulu, who won three times; Gete Wami and Tirunesh Dibaba, both of whom won twice at the long course and once at the short; and Edith Masai, who won the short race three times. Coaching and tactics Coaches move throughout the course to dictate strategy and motivate their teams. While the race is usually won by an outstanding individual, it is often the battles between the secondary teammates that determine which team wins. One of the most successful cross-country coaches in the U.S. at the collegiate level is Jack Daniels formerly the coach at SUNY Cortland and now the director at http://www.hastc.nau.edu/events-pressrm-032405.asp . The Daniels training method outlined in his book Daniels' Running Formula is used in all levels of cross-country from high school to the international elite. In high school competition, coaches sometimes build "home" courses on or near the school campus. This allows their runners to train on it frequently, giving them an extra edge over the competition. As in all distance races, runners try to run even splits for the most efficient use of their energy. They also run in packs to lessen the mental strain put on each individual runner. Other strategies include running the top 5-7 members of the team as a pack for as long as possible, even to the finish; deploying a rabbit to lure the other team's top runners into using up their reserves; and "kicking," staying on the shoulder of the leader until the last 100-200 m, turning the three-mile fight into an exhausted sprint to the finish. Canada Cross-country running is a far reaching sport in Canada. Starting in elementary school, most children have had some form of exposure to cross-country running, usually in the form of an annual all-school event. In middle school, races are more serious and are divided by grade and gender. In high school the races are very serious and tend to be the main talent pool (especially at the senior level) for university or national-level runners. At the university level, the sport is administered by the CIS. United Kingdom The organisation of cross-country running in the United Kingdom has continued to be mostly devolved to the four national associations: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The sport is based around the clubs, which usually are mixed cross-country and road running clubs. The current position (which is changing) is that in England, the ECCU is part of the Amateur Athletic Association. Cross-country running takes place from roughly September until March. Most matches are parts of different cross-country leagues, which are organised on an ad hoc basis. These vary from large, high quality leagues, such as the Birmingham League and Surrey League (which is unusual in requiring ten runners to score) to small, local leagues (such as the Gloucestershire AA league), and individual clubs can be a member of several leagues. Typically there will be four or five fixtures a season. In addition there are county championships, area championships (north, south, and midlands), the national championship (whose location rotates around the three areas), and the Inter-Counties Championship (which is often the best quality race owing to its restricted entry and its role as the trial for the World Championships). In addition there can be many inter-club matches, particularly among the older clubs. Most league matches are around 10 km (c. 6 miles) in length, and most championships 12 to 15 km (c. 7 1/2 to 9 miles) long. Most clubs are mixed, though women's races tend to be run separately from men's and to be shorter. Children are accommodated in the same structure and at schools. There is also quite a lot of racing between universities. United States
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