Now, I imagine when most people are asked about cross country, their minds fill with flashbacks of being forced to run around a muddy course at school, with an overly aggressive PE teacher shouting at them to “RUN FASTER”. For many, I’m sure it remains a distant memory, comparable to some kind of medieval punishment or torture.

But for a lot of runners, when October rolls around, they eagerly anticipate the start of cross country season. They screw in their spikes, dig out the old club vest and prepare to come home drenched in mud. Is there a better way to spend your Saturday?

Originally known as “hare and hounds”, cross country dates all the way back to the nineteenth century. Those who were “hares” would run minutes before the “hounds” leaving scraps of paper behind them. The tradition eventually gave rise to the term harriers, still used by running clubs today.

These days, cross country sees teams and individuals racing over courses that take in everything from grass and woodland to hills and muddy fields. London runners have plenty of opportunities to get involved, with leagues such as the Met League and Chingford League bringing clubs together for a series of winter races.

If road running is about splits and the track is about precision, cross country throws the rulebook completely out of the window. Mud, hills, sharp turns and constantly changing terrain make it difficult to settle into a rhythm. Your usual pace might mean absolutely nothing out on the course.

For Erin Molloy, who has been competing in cross country for seven years, the sport wasn’t exactly love at first sight. She initially got involved through her local athletics club Orion Harriers after joining for road racing, and despite not particularly enjoying cross country at school, she’s since come to love the challenge.

Her favourite thing about the sport is ‘how much fun it is while also being incredibly challenging at the same time”.

Unlike road racing, where a target time can dictate your entire race, Erin approaches cross country differently. 

“It’s so different to road or track, I’ve never had a time goal for cross country, the goal is always just to finish.”

That doesn’t mean it’s any less competitive. In fact, when the conditions are particularly treacherous it can become a real battle of wills. 

Luca Minale, who competes for West Texas A&M in the US and represented Team GB at the World University Cross Country Championships, describes cross country as “about as medieval as modern sport gets”.

Imagine hundreds of runners lining up shoulder to shoulder before charging across kilometres of mud at the sound of a gun. It’s hardly the most civilised way to spend a winter morning, but that’s precisely the point.

“The road and track are about rhythm and precision. Cross country is a battle of attrition. In terms of the UK especially, races don’t come easy. They’re cold, windy and almost always in a bog somewhere. Honestly, I don’t think I’m selling it well.”

Perhaps not, Luca. But for those who love it, the challenge is what keeps them coming back.

Of course, cross country isn’t all suffering. For many runners, the team atmosphere is just as much part of the appeal as the racing itself.

“Cross country is the closest running gets to a team sport,” Luca explains. “You’re fighting for your own position, but you’re also fighting for your team”

Molly Bryan also highlights the social side of cross country. She first joined her school club in Year 7 before taking a ten year break. Now, she can often be spotted sporting her Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets Athletics Club vest. Since returning to the sport, she’s even gone to finish first at a Met League fixture.

“My favourite thing about cross country is the team and social side of it. You’re running for your club, so there’s less pressure on individual performance (although I do care about that). It’s always fun getting muddy in a field then heading to the pub with your friends after.”

You spend the morning battling the elements with your mates, then spend the afternoon comparing muddy shoes and relieving the race over a well earned drink. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

For Luca, that team spirit reaches another level when competing for West Texas A&M in the United States.

“Before every race we huddle up and chant, like a war cry before the charge, and the camaraderie is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” 

For Luca, that sense of camaraderie is hard to beat.

“At the end, you cross the line plastered in mud, and the cold hits as the adrenaline drains away. An hour later you’re in the pub with your team, laughing about what you’ve all just put yourselves through.”

And it’s not just the team spirit that makes cross country worthwhile. All those hills, uneven surfaces and races where you have to keep pushing long after your legs have had enough can help build strength and confidence that carry over into road and track season.

Erin certainly thinks so.

“I definitely think cross country makes me a better runner, the determination it takes to finish those races and push through the hills helps a lot in other races and distances.”

Molly has noticed the difference, too, with some of her strongest road performances coming off the back of a cross country season.

“Not only do your legs get strong from the hills and uneven ground,  but you become mentally strong and more competitive from pushing yourself in challenging conditions.”

For Luca, winter is also a chance to take a step back from the constant pursuit of faster times, build his strength and enjoy running with his teammates.

“When winter comes, cross country lets me reset mentally and rebuild physically through higher mileage, more time in the gym and getting stronger. I can ease off the track and road paces and enjoy the colder months running with my mates.”

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your running is to get out there, embrace the conditions and see what you’re capable of. As Luca puts it, “When you get back on the road or the track, you know you can dig deep and work through whatever a race throws at you, because you’ve already done it somewhere much worse.”

If your memories of school cross country still haunt you, maybe it’s time to give it another go.

You don’t need to be an elite athlete, own the fanciest spikes or have any particular talent for navigating a bog. You just need to turn up, give it a go and accept that your shoes might never look quite the same again.

Molly’s advice for anyone thinking about trying out cross country is simple:

“Just give it a go. If you ran cross country at school and now you’re scared of it, don’t be. It can be fun. You don’t need to go crazy. Just turning up and running with teammates is a great way to get a few for it. You don’t need to be at a certain level to enjoy it.”

So, lace up your spikes and prepare to get muddy. You might discover a competitive streak you never knew you had, build some strength for the season ahead or simply find a new group of people to share a post race pint with.

And if you do end up looking like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards, at least you’ll be in good company.

Fancy giving it a go? Join us for Runlimited’s Winter Nights XC at Herne Hill Velodrome on 11 November. Expect great vibes and, fingers crossed, lots of mud. Whether you’re a seasoned cross country runner or just curious to see what all the fuss is about, come along and get stuck in!

Words by Cara Teton

Title image by Ben Farber