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wikiHow to Be a Good Cross Country Runner

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Do you want to be able to do your best at cross country running? This guide will show you some tips, tricks, and techniques to becoming a successful runner..


  1. 1
    Be ready. Make sure that you are hydrated, and also not full, but not starving. Running on an empty stomach can be distracting and the lack of nutrients makes your body unable to perform at its peak.
  2. 2
    Get moving. A warm-up is always necessary. This should not be very hard, but should be enough to get the blood flowing to your muscles so you’ll be able to stretch effectively.
  3. 3
    Stretch. It is very important that you make sure your muscles are ready to run. Make sure to stretch your thighs, calves, and hips. A good stretch to do involves walking about ten feet on your tippy-toes and walking back on your heels. This strengthens your ankles so you have less a chance of turning your ankle over on a rock, root, etc.
  4. 4
    Go for it. Do your workout. A good 1 to 2 or 3 miles (3.2 or 4.8 km) is good.
  5. 5
    Cool it off. Slowly jog 14–1 mile (0.4–1.6 km) to let your heart rate and breathing return to normal.
  6. 6
    Stretch. Stretch any muscles that might be sore or that were used excessively during the workout.
  7. 7
    Ice. Although this step isn’t typically necessary, it is a good idea to ice any sore parts of your body, for example: hip, calf, knee, ankle, shin, etc. To prevent/relieve shin splints, many runners soak their calves in ice water for 12 minutes after running. The ice water cools off overheated muscles and relieves friction between the bone and muscles.
  8. 8
    Recover. Eat a healthy meal and get adequate rest after your workout.
  9. 9
    Speed. It's always good to keep a nice steady speed at the end you could sprint to get a head of someone (maybe)
  10. 10
    Tomorrow is another day and with it another battle

Community Q&A

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  • My 13-year-old just started cross country and is placing very well at meets, but she gets a stitch in her side about a mile into each race. What is she doing wrong?
    wikiHow Contributor
    If she just started, then it is probably a problem with her breathing. Your daughter has to keep her breathing under control and not let it get out of a pattern. In conjunction to this, your daughter should try to strengthen her core and make sure she is extremely hydrated before her race. Something that also causes side cramps is which foods are eaten before a race.
  • How do I put my feet down correctly?
    When you run, don't put your foot directly down flat on the ground, because that can sometimes lead to shin problems such as shin splints. Instead, try landing on your heel and rounding to your toe; this will also make you quieter while you run, and you won't get tired out as fast.
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  • If you're in a race, pick the person ahead of you, and catch up to them. Then pick another person and try to catch up to them. Keep a pretty steady suicide pace though, so you don't run out of energy. Also, you can sing a song in your head ( preferably (a quick-tempo song works best) and match your steps to the beat.
  • When you can see the finish line, put all your focus on it. You are almost there. Think to yourself: “I need to get there as soon as possible!”
  • Sing an upbeat song in your head and count the number of people you are passing. This will boost your confidence and take your mind off of “pain, tired, losing” to “almost there, keep going, do your best”.
  • Eat pasta the night before a race. Pasta is packed with carbohydrates that are stored until you need energy.
  • If you feel discouraged or on the verge of giving up in the race remind yourself that the race will soon be over and keep going. Everyone has their off-days. Carbohydrates are the most important part of a cross country runner, but it is also important to get a considerable amount of protein XC runners are to have as little excess fat as possible.
  • Pick one person every-cross country meet that you want to beat. Then the next meet pick a new faster person until you are in the top three or so.
  • Remember that the person next to you at the end of a race is most likely just as tired as you. Push a little harder and you will have them beat.
  • Try to stay with someone from your team during a race. Support each other with positive thoughts and verbally keep track of the distance to go. “Halfway there, Angela, keep it up!” “400 meters (1,312.3 ft) left; let’s pick up the pace!” This makes time pass quicker.


  • During a race, don't start out too fast, even if in the beginning you're towards the back. A lot of people start out too fast and slow down during the middle of the race.
  • If you are injured, take adequate time off. If you hurt your ankle on Tuesday and it starts to feel better but is still sore on race day (Saturday), chances are you will re-injure it during the race causing even more damage than before.
  • Never smoke! Smoking makes it much harder to get air into your lungs.
  • Try not to eat a whole lot before practice or races. If you have to eat, eat something small and at least an hour and a half before.
  • After XC season make sure you're still running at least 3-4 times a week so you aren't out of shape when track or next cross country season comes around.
  • Never starve yourself! You will never have enough energy to run unless you are getting proper nutrients

Article Info

Categories: Cross Country Running

In other languages:

Русский: стать хорошим бегуном кросса по пересеченной местности, Español: ser un buen corredor a campo traviesa, Italiano: Essere un Buon Corridore di Corsa Campestre, Português: Ser um Bom Corredor de Cross Country

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