how much is the average ncaa cross country course length

by Vern Ebert 5 min read

Although far from a set rule, it seems that most coaches allow runners to try out for teams as long as they can run a 4:40 mile and/or a 9:50 two mile. Of course, having a great cross-country resume can help convince a coach to give you chance.

In the United States, college men typically compete on 8 km (5.0 mi) or 10 km (6.2 mi) courses, while college women race for 5 km (3.1 mi) or 6 km (3.7 mi).

Full Answer

How many miles is a college cross country race?

How Many Miles Is a College Cross Country Race? In most places, the standard distance for a college cross country race, for boys and girls, is 3.1 miles, which equates to 5 kilometers, or 5k.

How long is the Wisconsin State marathon cross country course?

About the course : According to Wisconsin, its cross country course features an exterior loop of approximately 2,500 meters and an interior loop of 1,000 meters. Both loops cover the area's rolling hills and valleys, while the outside loop also runs through a section of dense woods, which are aflame with color in the fall.

What is the best college cross country course?

"I believe that Van Cortlandt Park is the best college cross country course because of how challenging and historic it is," Chavez said. "Dating back more than 100 years, Van Cortlandt is known among the running community as the mecca of cross country running.

How many high school students compete in cross country each year?

Over 440,000 high school students compete in cross country each year, making it the sixth-most popular sport for girls, and seventh most popular for boys.

How long is a normal cross country course?

Cross-country is a team running sport that takes place in the fall on a measured 5000 meter (3.1 miles) High School course or 2 mile course for the Jr. High over varied surfaces and terrain.

How long are most cross country courses?

US college distances: In the United States, cross-country runners race on courses of varying lengths—usually between eight kilometers (a little under five miles) and ten kilometers (a little over six miles) for men and five kilometers to six kilometers (a little under four miles) for women.

How fast do you have to be to run D1 cross country?

For girls, the general rule for Division 1 programs are: 800m: 2:25, mile: 5:30, 2 mile: 11:40, and 5K: 19:30 Again, there are no set guidelines, and there might be many people that disagree with me that these are the appropriate times, so you owe it to yourself to contact coaches personally and ask them what their ...

How much Miles does NCAA cross country?

Race Distance In cross-country, all races (except for Regionals and Nationals) are 8 kilometers (5 miles). It can be a little strange for freshmen runners to pass the 5k mark of a college race and realize that they still have two miles left to run.

What is the hardest cross country course?

The world's toughest cross-country courses2008 World Cross Country Championships — Edinburgh, Scotland. ... 2019 CCAA Cross Country Championships — Grand Prairie, Alta. ... 2019 Australian World XC Trials — Canberra, Australia. ... 2012 Gunner Shaw Memorial Cross-Country Race — Vancouver.More items...•

What is a good 5K time?

Many runners complete a 5K in 30 to 40 minutes, and many runners are satisfied with their time if it's around this benchmark. The average walker finishes a 5K in 45 to 60 minutes.

What is a D1 5K time?

NCAA D1: 5K Under 16:10.

What 5K time will get you a scholarship?

Division 1 track and field recruiting standardsEventD1 TopD1 Low800m1:47.141:58.491500m3:45.754:16.771600m4:05.894:27.805K XC13:58.2015:5222 more rows

How many scholarships D1 cross country?

Cross country and track and field are equivalency sports at the NCAA D1 and D2 levels, which means coaches are given a set number of scholarships—12.6 for men and 18 for women—to spread across as many athletes as they want.

What is a good 5K cross country time?

The average finishing time was 16:40, but the average first mile was 5:05 or roughly 15:47 pace. Did anyone in that race run a 15:47?

What is a good 5K time for college?

Men's Cross CountryNCAA DINCAA DII5KUnder 16:10Under 17:2010KUnder 35:45Under 39:45

How long is a D1 XC race?

Since 1976 the race distance has been 10,000 meters (6.2 mi).

How long is Olympic cross-country course?

The men's competitions include a skiathlon (30 km), individual sprint freestyle, 15-kilometer classical, 4x10km relay, team sprint classical and mass start 50-kilometer freestyle.

How long is Olympic cross-country ski course?

Cross-country skiing has undergone plenty of changes since debuting at the 1924 Winter Olympics. From just two events - men's 18km and 50km - at the 1924 Chamonix Winter Games, the list grew to 12 events at Beijing 2022, six each for men and women. The women's events were added to the Olympic programme in 1952.

How long is a cross country race?

Sometimes the runners are referred to as harriers. The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands ...

How many high schoolers compete in cross country?

Every state offers cross country as a high school sport for boys and girls. Over 440,000 high school students compete in cross country each year, making it the sixth-most popular sport for girls, and seventh most popular for boys.

What are the USATF cross country championships?

The USA Cross Country Championships, first held in 1890, include six races: masters women (8 km), masters men (8 km), junior women (6 km), junior men (8 km), open women (8 km) and open men (12 km). In addition to crowning national champions, the championships serve as the trials race to select the Team USA squad for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships, first held in 2002, incl men's race and a women's race. The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, first held in 1998, feature the top clubs from across the United States as they vie for honors and bragging rights as the nation's top cross country team. The USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, first held in 2001, has raced for boys and girls in five different two-year age divisions.

How many men's cross country teams are there?

Over 900 men's cross country teams and over 1000 women's cross country teams compete in the three divisions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Men usually race 10 km (6.2 mi) or 8 km (5.0 mi), and women usually race 6 km (3.7 mi) or 5 km (3.1 mi). Every state offers cross country as a high school sport for boys and girls.

How long is a sand volleyball course?

The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method.

What is the equipment used in cross country?

Equipment. Cross country running involves very little specialized equipment. Most races are run in shorts and vests or singlets, usually in club or school colours. In particularly cold conditions, long-sleeved shirts and tights can be worn to retain warmth without losing mobility.

What is cross country running?

World Championships. 1973–. Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. Sometimes the runners are referred to as harriers. The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, ...

How many miles does a female athlete run in Connecticut?

Female athletes in Connecticut ran a 2.5-mile race, but the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference made the race distance a universal 3.1 miles in 2008. States must receive approval from coaches' associations before initiating an official distance change.

How many miles is a cross country race?

How Many Miles Is a College Cross Country Race? In most places, the standard distance for a college cross country race, for boys and girls, is 3.1 miles, which equates to 5 kilometers, or 5k.

How long is a 5k?

The 5k is a standard distance, but some states have shorter official races for female cross country runners, who complete for only 4 kilometers or a 2.5-mile run.

Why is it important for a coach to keep their teams small?

It’s important to realize that coaches have good reasons to keep their teams relatively small. For example, regulations such as Title IX force coaches to limit how many male athletes they can carry on a team. However, Title IX does help female athletes by ensuring that athletic programs don’t unequally provide athletic opportunities to males. As a result, it is comparatively easier for female runners to get onto NCAA cross-country and track teams than it is for males.

Why do college coaches use track times?

College coaches rely on track times because, unlike cross country, everybody runs the same course. Although far from a set rule, it seems that most coaches allow runners to try out for teams as long as they can run a 4:40 mile and/or a 9:50 two mile.

What is the best time to run a 5k in Division 1?

If you have placed high at the state meet, or have a solid 5k time (probably has to be at least under 17:00) it can make up for poor track times. For girls, the general rule for Division 1 programs are: 800m: 2:25, mile: 5:30, 2 mile: 11:40, ...

Can I get a scholarship for running in Division 1?

Keep in mind that these running times are not even close to being fast enough for a Division I athletic scholarship. Athletic scholarships for track and cross country runners are in short supply and only elite runners out of college can expect to receive any money during their freshman year. Don’t despair though – college coaches often reward runners with athletic scholarships in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Take a look at my page on college athletic scholarships for information about how fast runners can use running to pay for college.

Does Title IX help women?

However, Title IX does help female athletes by ensuring that athletic programs don’t unequally provide athletic opportunities to males. As a result, it is comparatively easier for female runners to get onto NCAA cross-country and track teams than it is for males.

How many miles does cross country run?

For Cross Country NCAA schools typically run 8k or 10k for the males and 5k-10k for females. NAIA schools males run 8k and females 5k. Now during track it has a huge range between the 1500- a marathon.

How far is 5k?

The current standard distance is 5k (3.1 miles). Decades ago when I was in high school it was usually 2.5 miles +/-.

When does XC track season start?

Another difference is the season. XC season usually runs from the beginning of September to the end of November here in the South Bay. Track runs from mid February and is over by the time May rolls around.

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Do you have to wing it before a race?

Once in a while you have to kind of wing it if there’s not enough prep time before the race, but that’s always a little bit of a disadvantage versus knowing the course beforehand.

How long is a 5k course?

A decent time for a full 5k course would be anything under 25 minutes. At leat in hilly western NY where I am. A ‘good’ time would be under 20 minutes. A time that would get you to the state championship meet would be about 16 minutes most years. There's usually one or two in NY Section 5 under 16 minutes each year. Last year's state champion ran a 15: 30

How long is a cross country race in high school?

Cross country races in high school are all 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles. A decent time for a 9th grader is around 19 min flat or a little above. Then each year after you should hope to shave off 30–40 seconds. An exceptional time would be low 16:00s. 1.6K views.

How many runs should I run in an unimportant meet?

In unimportant meets, I encourage you to run all 3 (1600 / 800 / 3200). You can feel comfortable with all of these and pick the one that you feel most comfortable with.

How does HS calculate who wins on paper?

Before every meet, all good HS coaches will calculate "who wins on paper." It's really simple, basically they take the Best times and average times of every person on the track / field, and let those times determine the score of the meet and then they will measure the performance of the team based on the score of the hypothetical meet. With a sub 4:30, you'll be on every coaches radar up to regionals.

How many minutes is section 5 in NY?

There's usually one or two in NY Section 5 under 16 minutes each year. Last year's state champion ran a 15: 30. 5k is the standard, though a lot of normal meet courses outside the championship races vary by up to a kilometer. (Or at least they did when I coached and ran up until 5 years ago.)

How far is 5k?

The current standard distance is 5k (3.1 miles). Decades ago when I was in high school it was usually 2.5 miles +/-.

What is the standard for a 5k race?

5k is the standard, though a lot of normal meet courses outside the championship races vary by up to a kilometer. (Or at least they did when I coached and ran up until 5 years ago.)

Overview

Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically 4–12 kilometres (2.5–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road and minor obstacles. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and wo…

Race course

While a course may include natural or artificial obstacles, cross country courses support continuous running, and do not require climbing over high barriers, through deep ditches, or fighting through the underbrush, as do military-style assault courses.
A course at least 5 metres (5.5 yd) full allows competitors to pass others during the race. Clear markings keep competitors from making wrong turns, and spectators from interfering with the c…

Strategy

Because of differences between courses in running surface, frequency and tightness of turns, and amount of up and downhill, cross country strategy does not necessarily simplify to running a steady pace from start to finish. Coaches and cross country runners debate the relative merits of fast starts to get clear of the field, versus steady pacing to maximize physiological efficiency. Some teams emphasize running in a group in order to provide encouragement to others on the t…

Equipment

Cross country running involves very little specialized equipment. Most races are run in shorts and vests or singlets, usually in club or school colours. In particularly cold conditions, long-sleeved shirts and tights can be worn to retain warmth without losing mobility. The most common footwear are cross country spikes, lightweight racing shoes with a rubber sole and five or more metal spikes screwed into the forefoot part of the sole. Spike length depends on race conditions…

History

Formal cross country competition traces its history to the 19th century and an English game called "hare and hounds" or "the paper chase". English schools started competing in cross country races in 1837, and established a national championship on 7 December 1867. It was held on Wimbledon Common in south-west London. It was the first cross country race that was considered "open", or could be run by anyone. Its original purpose was to imitate steeplechase fo…

Regional organizations

Beyond championships, IAAF world cross country meetings include the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country, Cross Internacional de Itálica, Antrim International Cross Country, Cinque Mulini, Nairobi Cross, Chiba International Cross Country, Fukuoka International Cross Country meet, Eurocross and Almond Blossom Cross Country.
Cross country running is organized at the state level by the athletics association for each state. I…

See also

• Sport of athletics portal

Further reading

• Havitz, Mark E., and Eric D. Zemper, "'Worked Out in Infinite Detail': Michigan State College's Lauren P. Brown and the Origins of the NCAA Cross Country Championships," Michigan Historical Review (Spring 2013), 39#1, pp. 1–39.