In The Complete History of Cross-Country Running, author Andrew Boyd Hutchinson captures the full history of cross-country running, from the early 1800s to the present day, on both a national and international scale. It includes chronicles of legendary teams, inspirational tales of achievement, controversies, and interviews with record-breaking runners past and present. From Walter George and Alfred Shrubb to Steve Prefontaine, Bill Rogers, and Galen Rupp—and everyone in between—Hutchinson uncovers all angles, via training logs, discussions with coaches, and the review of newspaper archives for race results and forgotten storylines. He offers commentary from Olympians such as David Torrence and Shannon Rowbury, amongst others. Along the way, the book addresses the following topics: • How cross country began in England • How the sport found its way to American colleges and universities • The birth of the International Cross-Country Championships • All the close events, including the 2012 race between Molly Huddle and Sara Hall at the US National Cross-Country Championship • And so much more!

Excerpt from Distance and Cross Country Running America's middle distance runners and sprinters arc famous throughout the world. Her distance runners rank second only to the Englishmen, whose climate and general upbringing have made them peerless in this one branch of sport. These are the two salient points that strike one in glancing hastily down the vista of American champions from 1876 to the present day. The American sprinter and quarter-miler are the best in the world today, and they have been so ever since 1880, only four years after the first American championships were held. The half-milers have found their equals in England, though that famous American distance runner. Kilpatrick, holds the best half-mile record ever made. But in such men as Brediti, who defeated Kilpatrick in England; Workman of Oxford, Cross, Tysoe, the late world's champion, and numbers of others, our British cousins have shown an equality. In mile running, it is true we had the greatest of all distance runners (W. G. George alone excepted) in the person of Tommy Conned, who. running under New York Athletic Club colors, made the present world's amateur record of 4 minutes 15 3-5 seconds. But Conned was not American born, and thus the credit for the performance is shared with the Britishers. The best mile record ever made in America is that held by George W. Orton, at 4 minutes 21 4-5 seconds, while in England hardly a year rolls by that some new man does not beat 4 minutes 20 seconds. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Cross-Country Techniques Illustrated Cross-country running goes as far back in the history of the human race as almost any activity we know. We can visualize the cave man run ning over the hills and plains in search of food or to safety from preying enemies. Mobility of ancient armies originally depended upon their ability to run with their weapons, and the first competition over hills and dales no doubt took place on an informal basis between the cave men or the ancient soldiers. The resourceful English were the first to place the sport of long distance running across the country on a highly competitive basis. In fact, the now famous crick run of Tom Brown's School Day: was first recorded as taking place about 1837. It is interesting to note that in England the first teams were fielded by the colleges, but they soon lost interest. Athletic clubs took over and pushed the sport to its current European popularity. In America, just the opposite took place. The clubs, such as the West chester Hares and Hounds Club and the New York American Athletic Harriers, were running over the hills in the 1870's. A Short time later, hundreds of clubs sprang up throughout the east on a recreational hares and hounds basis. While club athletes were enthusiastic about cross country running, the Officials who controlled the purse strings were not. Due to a lack of finances, club cross -country running began to disappear. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

An introduction to cross-country running, including the history of this "natural sport, " equipment, training, strategy, and how to improve one's performance.

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In the late summer of 2016, the X-Men gather at St. Francis Xavier University. From talented but inexperienced seventeen-year-olds, to elite fourth and fifth- year medal holders, revered Coach Bernie Chisholm has assembled a team of cross country runners determined to become the first in St. FX history to win a national championship. But college is college, and there are also parties to survive, video games to triumph in, and running jokes that will cost more than one X-Man a chunk or two of an eyebrow. Over the next three months, focus intensifies and the X-Men punish their bodies in the pursuit of precious fitness gains, redeemable only on the Plains of Abraham on judgment day, the Canadian Nationals: November 12th. As challenges continue to mount, the runners of St. FX endure grueling practices, time trials, and cuts to determine which seven men will represent the team at nationals. Competition creates a power struggle between the runners – and best friends – that threatens to undermine the strength of the team. Meanwhile, other obstacles inherent to intense, college-level distance running continue to mount; injury, burnout, and the perhaps impossible balancing of athletics, social life, and academics. From the vivid perspective of someone who lived it in all its exhausting, exhilarating, and sometimes crushing ups and downs, Runners of the Nish explores how a group of disparate young men learn to use a common goal to become the most powerful versions of themselves on the cross-country course and beyond. And through it all, the question looms larger and larger, will any of it be enough for the St. FX Blue and White to find glory on the Plains of Abraham?

An introduction to cross-country running, including the history of this natural sport, equipment, training, strategy, and how to improve one's performance.