Cross country running is a running event in which runners and their teams race over open or natural terrain. The courses, typically 4-12 kilometers long, may include grass, mud, woodlands, hills, flat ground and water. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place in temperate regions during the autumn and winter when soft conditions underfoot prevail.

Cross country running is one of the disciplines under the umbrella sport of athletics. The foremost elite competition is the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Cross country also features as part of the modern pentathlon at the Summer Olympic Games. Cross country featured on the Olympic athletics programme between 1912 and 1924 but was dropped for following editions.

Cross country courses are laid out on open or woodland area with natural obstacles. The IAAF recommends that courses be covered as far as possible by grass, and have undulating terrain with smooth curves and short straights. Courses consist of one or more loops. Courses for international competitions consist of a loop between 1750 and 2000 meters. Athletes complete three to six loops, depending on the race. Senior men compete on a 12-kilometer course. Senior women and junior men compete on an 8-kilometer course. Junior women compete on a 6-kilometer course.^[1]

In the United States, the most common distance for high school cross country races is 5 kilometers. College men typically compete on 8-kilometer or 10-kilometer courses, while college women race for 6 kilometers.^[2]

All runners start at the same time, from a starting arc or line marked with lanes or boxes for each team or individual. An official, 50 meters or more in front of the starting line fires a pistol to indicate the start. If runners collide and fall within the first 100 meters, officials can halt the race and restart it. The course should have 400-800 meters of straight terrain before the first turn, to reduce contact and congestion at the start. However, many courses at smaller competitions have a turn after a much shorter distance.^[3]

The runner is responsible for staying within a specified distance of the marked path. The course length is measured using a distance wheel. When the course is "walked out" by the wheel, the course markers will be placed no more than three feet away on the inside of the turn. If one runs every turn tight, they will theoretically be running a shorter distance than the course claims to be. Courses may be marked using various methods, such as tape, chalk, ribbons, paint, and cones. When cones are used, the runner must stay to the outside of the marker at each turn; on the other hand, when ribbons or paint lines are used, the runner must follow the line (if parallel lines are used runners must stay between the lines, or if a single line is used they must stay within six feet of the line). Often, volunteers stand on the course and point in the correct direction to go at an intersection. In the past, flags were used to mark the course, with a yellow flag meaning 'turn right', a red flag meaning 'turn left', and a blue flag meaning 'go straight'.

After the first 200–300 meters, runners typically fall into their "race pace", or a steadier pace that can be maintained for a long period of time. When runners try to maintain the initial start speed, they will go into "oxygen debt" early, and lose much of their momentum due to lactic acid build up in the muscles. The course may be entirely flat, or runners may encounter a series of hills, patches of mud, or obstacles like small creeks to run through. Runners are not permitted to come into physical contact with each other. This may result in disqualification. Different strategies may be used among runners on different teams. For example, they may try to run as a pack in groups of two or three. This strategy is used to help the slower runners along, and may also intimidate runners on other teams (seeing all the runners on a team together may make the team seem very good). Another strategy is to "surge", or pick up the pace for 200–300 meters every few minutes. This may help runners pass others and score better for their team. This part of the race generally lasts until the runners are about 600–400 meters from the end, where the finishing stage of the course begins.

The course usually ends at a finish line located at the beginning of a funnel or chute. The chute is a long walkway marked with flags that keeps athletes single-file in order of finishing. Since every place could potentially make a difference, runners will normally try to overtake as many people as possible in this stretch.

Helpers at the finish line assist in making sure the athletes keep moving through the line while staying in order as more runners come through. They settle close finishes and help along any collapsing athletes to make sure that they get their numbers in the right order. The helpers that work the chute also are in charge of giving water to the finishers and helping them if they are having trouble (vomiting, collapsing, trouble breathing, etc.).

There is often a small slip at the bottom of the runners' number (that is pinned to the front of their jersey during the race) which is ripped off and collected; this shows each athlete's information. That slip is used to keep track of finishing positions. An alternative method (common in the UK) is to have four officials in two pairs. In the first pair, one official reads out numbers of finishers and the other records them. In the second pair, one official reads out times for the other to record. At the end of the race the two lists are joined along with information from the entry information. The major disadvantage of this system is that distractions can easily upset the results, particularly when large numbers of runners finish close together.

Another method of timing which is now being used somewhat more often, most commonly larger races, is chip timing. Each runner is given a transponder working on a RFID basis before the race to tie to their shoe; when the runner crosses the finish line they step on an electronic pad which records the chip number and is matched to the runner from an already made database. Occasionally there will also be checkpoint mats or mile mats to deliver splits and make sure runners go over the entire course. This is by far the most accurate method, although it is somewhat expensive.

In competitive team cross country events, like those between schools, there is yet another method of recording the finishing orders and times. Each team member has a number that is theirs for the entire season, which they pin onto their shirt before each race. At least two coaches, parents, or other volunteers wait at the finish line. One person records the number of each runner that crosses the finish line, while another uses a stopwatch to get the approximate time. While the times are not as precise as with the chip, it is much more cost-effective and works for the purpose of getting the order in which people finish, which is all that is needed to determine the winning team and highest "scoring" runners. There are, of course, schools who do not use this system or have changed it.

Scores are determined by summing the top four or five individual finishing places on each team. In international competition, a team typically consists of six runners, with the top four scoring. In the United States, the most common scoring system is seven runners, with the top five scoring. Points are awarded to the individual runners of eligible teams, equal to the position in which they cross the finish line (first place gets 1 point, second place gets 2 points, etc.). The points for these runners are summed, and the low score wins. Individual athletes, and athletes from incomplete teams are excluded from scoring. Ties can be broken in several ways. In international competition, ties are resolved in favour of the team whose last scoring member finishes nearer to first place. In high school competition, ties are resolved in favor of the team whose next non-scoring member finishes first. In U.S. college competition, ties are not resolved.^[4]

The lowest possible score in a five-to-score match is 15 (1+2+3+4+5), achieved by a team's runners finishing in each of the top five positions. If there is a single opposing team then they would have a score of 40 (6+7+8+9+10), which can be considered a "sweep" for the winning team. In some competitions a team's sixth and seventh runner are scored in the overall field and are known as "pushers" or "displacers" as their place can count ahead of other runners. In the above match, if there are two non-scoring runners and they came 6th and 7th overall, the opponent's score would be 50 (8+9+10+11+12). Accordingly, the official score of a forfeited dual meet is 15-50.

Cross country running involves very little specialized equipment. Most races are run in shorts and vests or singlets, usually in club or school colors. In particularly cold conditions, long-sleeved shirts and tights can be worn to retain warmth without losing mobility. The most common footwear worn consists of a pair of spikes, which are lightweight racing shoes that incorporate metal spikes into the sole towards the front of the shoe. These spikes are changed depending on race conditions. For example, if the course is muddy a larger spike will be used, or if there is gravel or concrete spikes will be removed and replaced with short stubs. Regulation spikes for cross country courses range from .25-.5 inches (6.4mm - 12.7mm). Alternatively, rubber studded shoes may be worn, as spikes are forbidden in some leagues. While spikes are suitable for grassy, muddy, or slippery conditions, runners may choose to wear racing flats if the course includes significant portions of paved surfaces or dirt road.^[5] Flats are typically less aggressive in foot positioning and slightly heavier than spikes. They possess less rigid outsole tread than spikes and do not have any metal spikes.

In recent years, international cross country has been dominated by eastern Africans, particularly those representing Kenya and Ethiopia. Several athletes have won three or more individual titles at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships: Tom Wells, Carlos Lopes, the first man to win three times; John Ngugi, the first man to win five times; Paul Tergat, the first man to win five times in a row; Kenenisa Bekele, the only man to win the short and long courses each five times in five years and the only man to win the long course championship six times (one more than Ngugi and Tergat); Grete Waitz, the first woman to win five times; Tirunesh Dibaba who won three times at the long course and once at the short; Lynn Jennings, who won three times; Derartu Tulu, who won three times; Gete Wami, who won twice at the long course and once at the short; and Edith Masai, who won the short race three times. Doris Brown Heritage (USA) was the first woman to win five championships (1967–72).

Cross country running is a far reaching sport in Canada. Starting in elementary school, most children have had some form of exposure to cross country running, usually in the form of an annual all-school event. In middle school, races are more serious and are divided by grade and gender. In high school the races are very serious and tend to be the main talent pool (especially at the senior level) for university or national-level runners. At the university level, the sport is administered by the CIS.

The organization of cross country running in the United Kingdom has continued to be mostly devolved to the four national associations: England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The sport is based around the clubs, which usually are mixed cross country and road running clubs. The current position (which is changing) is that in England, the ECCU is part of the Amateur Athletic Association.

Cross country running takes place from roughly September until March. Most matches are parts of different cross country leagues, which are organised on an ad hoc basis. These vary from large, high quality leagues, such as the London Metropolitan Cross Country League, Birmingham League and Surrey League (which is unusual in requiring ten runners to score) to small, local leagues (such as the Gloucestershire AA league), and individual clubs can be a member of several leagues.

Typically there will be four or five fixtures a season. In addition there are county championships, area championships (north, south, and midlands), the national championship (whose location rotates around the three areas), and the Inter-Counties Championship (which is often the best quality race owing to its restricted entry and its role as the trial for the World Championships).

In addition there can be many inter-club matches, particularly among the older clubs. Most league matches are around 10 km (6.2 miles) long, and most championships 12 to 15 km (c. 7½ to 9 miles) long. Most clubs are mixed, though men's and women's races tend to be run separately.

Secondary school aged students are also to compete at local schools races, with a set number of students qualifying for county level, at which there is a further race to qualify for the English Schools Cross Country race. There is also quite a lot of racing between universities, with larger fixtures organised through BUCS.

In secondary/high schools, the standard cross country race distance is 5 kilometers (3.1 miles), though some states have a standard distance of 3 miles (4.8 km). Some states run a shorter, 3- to 4-kilometer course for girls. High School level qualification for the post-season vary from state to state and county to county. The Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Cross Country Championships have qualifications that can apply to every high school team in the country.

Most elementary schools in the US do not have school teams, but many running clubs exist for youth runners of 18 years of age and younger. Youth running clubs compete in local, regional, and national championships sanctioned by the AAU or USATF. Course distances for this age group vary depending on the age of the athlete. Common championship distances are:

Many middle schools (grades 6-8) in the US offer cross country as a school sport and youth running clubs are still very dominant in this age group. A typical middle school course (7th and 8th grade) is usually around 1.8 mi/ 3 km long, while a typical high school course (9th-12th) is usually around 3.1 mi/ 5 km.

At college level, distances are usually 5 km or 6 km for females and 8 km (5 miles) for males for most invitationals and NCAA Division III regional and national meets. For NCAA Divisions I and II, men race 10 km (6.2 mi) and women 6 km at regional and national competitions. There are both individual and team honors at the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship and NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship. The largest cross country invitational in the world is at Mt. SAC [5]. The USATF National Championships consist of a long course and a short course similar to the IAAF World Championships. The long course is 12 km for men and 8 km for women, while the short course is 4 km for both men [6] and women. The most recent NCAA Division I National Championship was held in Terre Haute, Indiana at Indiana State University, the Division II race was at Slippery Rock University, and Division III was at Hanover College, also in Indiana.

Outstanding American cross country runners include Don Lash, who won seven consecutive national championships from 1934 to 1940 and Pat Porter, who won eight titles from 1982 to 1989. Only two American athletes have won the IAAF World Cross Country Championships: Craig Virgin, who won in 1980 and again in 1981 and Lynn Jennings from 1990–1992.

Cross country running is organised at the state level by the athletics association for each state. In Queensland this Queensland Athletics.^[6] In the Masters category (over 30), this is organised by Australian Masters Athletics. Brisbane will host the Australian Masters Nationals Championships,^[7] April 21–24, 2011 with the Cross Country hosted by Thompson Estate and Eastern Suburbs Athletics ^[8] at Minnippi Parklands.

The cross country season in Brisbane is usually March - September. During the season there is usually one race each week in a different park, normally organised and hosted by one of the participating clubs. Photos of such events can be found here.^[9]

• Ekiden
• Cross-country skiing
• Cyclo-cross
• Fell running
• Modern pentathlon
• Motocross
• Orienteering
• Parkour
• Rogaining
• Snocross
• Triathlon
• Open Water Swimming

• IAAF World Cross Country Championships
• Cinque Mulini

• 2008 International Association of Athletics Federations / Competition Rules Road Races / SECTION IX - CROSS-COUNTRY / RULE 250 / Cross-Country Races
• 2008 USATF Competition Rules / Article IV Rules of Competition / Section VIII Cross Country
• U. S. Cross-Country Championships
• 5k/4k cross country pace calculator