cross Country 101

For the rookies out there, we thought it might be nice to dedicate a section of the website to to the basics of XC. Were you at a race wondering what a singlet is? Then this section is for you!

Definitions:
Bib - a piece of paper safety-pinned to a runner's singlet; it has a unique number assigned to that runner.

Chip - an electronic device laced into a runner's shoes or bib that tracks a runner's place and time; very important to return to a coach in a timely manner as we get fined for missing chips.

Chute - a roped or flagged-off funnel immediately following the finish line that herds runners into a single file line in finishing order.

PR/PB - personal record/best; a runner's fastest time for a specific distance and/or course.

Singlet - the upper piece of a runner's uniform, typically made of a lightweight fabric in the style of a tank top.

Team Boxes - sprayed or chalked boxes at the starting line within which teams must stay.

Now that you know the most important terms, let's look at how teams are scored.

Scoring:
The lowest score wins in cross country. The top five runners for each team score for their team. Points are based on place. For instance, a runner who places 7th overall earns 7 points for the team. A perfect score is 15 (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5).

Does this mean that runners that don't finish in the top five don't count? NO WAY! Each time runners pass an opponent, it potentially adds a point to the other team's score. It's called displacing. This is a team sport, so runners should pass every last person they can for the team!