Cross-country running is a sport in which teams of runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain faster than other teams. It differs from road running or track running principally in the course, which may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water, and in its scoring system. Teams are typically composed of between four and twelve runners. It is a popular participatory sport, and usually takes place in temperate regions during the autumn and winter when soft conditions underfoot prevail.

Cross-country running as anb organised sport originates from English. In the early 1800s cross-country was practised in public schools, especially Rugby. In 1850, undergraduates at Exeter College, Oxford organised a foot grind. This was an analogy with steeple chasing on horse where a race would be held towards the nearest church steeple, forcing riders to clear rural obstacles such as hedges, fences, and ditches. A two-mile cross-country steeplechase formed part of the Oxford University sports (in which many of the modern athletics events were founded) in 1860, but replaced in 1865 by an event over barriers on a flat fields, which became the modern steeplechase in athletics.

In 1868, members of Thames Rowing Club looking for winter exercise (when rowing did not take place then) formed Thames Hare and Hounds in Roehampton on the south-west fringes of London and adjoining Wimbledon Common on which cross-country races were staged. They were joined by Peckham Hare and Hounds in 1869 (which became Blackheath Harriers in 1880), Cheshire Tally Ho Hare and Hounds in 1872, Birchfield Harriers 1877, Cambridge University Hare and Hounds in 1880, and Ranelagh Harriers in 1881. The English Cross Country Union followed in 1883 which introduced the National Championships. Most of these early clubs continue to thrive to this day. The reason for the names associated with hunting is that in many of the early matches, the course was set by paper chasing: a few runners (the hares) would have a start on the bulk of the field (the hounds), and lay a 'scent' by scattering a paper trail behind them which the hounds would follow. Racing would take place between the hares and the hounds and within the hounds themselves. Because of the obvious nuisance this can generate, this form of racing was largely discontinued quite early on. Occasional matches still take place, by Cheshire Tally Ho and the popular Hash House Harriers, for example. However, from an early date steeplechases and championship races also took place over fixed courses, as today.

In 1878, the sport was introduced into the United States by William C. Vosburgh. At first, the sport served mainly as training for the more well-known sport of track and field. Nine years later, cross-country running became a formal sport in the United States. Despite the international popularity of cross-country, the sport was dropped from the Olympics after 1924 due to it being an inappropriate summer sport. In the 1960s, the International Amateur Athletic Federation, which regulates cross-country running, allowed women to run for the first time.

The sport is still popular in temperate countries. Internationally, the IAAF organises the World Cross Country Championships, which is perhaps the best quality distance race that takes place as it attracts runners who normally specialise in only one or two track or road distances. In recent years the type of course at this event has changed, moving from the traditional form to faster, drier courses.

Each cross-country running course is different in composition. Distances are generally standardized in leagues, however there will be little in common between any two courses other than their distance. As such, accurate comparisons cannot be made between performances on different courses. For this reason, records of the fastest times in international competition are not kept.

Races are started en masse, sometimes each team having its own pen' or 'box' along the start line. A gun or horn is then sounded, and runners have a few hundred metres to converge from the wide starting line into the much narrower path that must be followed until the finish.

The runner is responsible for staying within a specified distance of the marked path. Courses may be marked in various methods such as tapes and flags. One method is to attach to poles colored flags which communicate direction. A red flag means left, a blue flag means straight, and a yellow flag means right. Flags must be passed on the opposite side of the direction to which the runner is turning, with the exception that blue may be passed on either side. Ground markings are also used, usually a solid or dashed painted centerline.

The course usually ends at a finish line located at the beginning of a funnel or chute. The chute is a long, roped walkway that keeps athletes single-file in order of finishing. This helps the people running the meet make sure everyone is scored correctly. Less common is an open finish line. This usually involves reading radio-broadcasting computer chips (sometimes referred to as "chip timing") attached to each runner. Prior to the finish line, the course typically widens to allow more passing.

Generally, cross country races for women will range from anywhere from 2000m to 8000m (1.25 to 5 miles) while men's races will range from 5000m to 15,000m (3.1 to 9 miles).

Distances in United States amateur running differ based on gender and league. In grammar school (elementary school in US; most such schools do not have school teams, but many running clubs exist for youth runners (including the Junior Olympics)) cross country, the courses are around 1.5 miles or 2,400m in length and include less challenging terrain then in the more advanced leagues. In secondary schools, the standard male and female varsity distance is 5,000m, or approximately 3.1 miles. The Footlocker US High School Nationals are 5,000m as well. However, states differ in their regulations, and in some this may be reduced to 2.5 miles for females or junior varsity males. At the university level, distances are 5,000m or 6,000m for females and 8,000m or 5 miles for males for most invitationals and NCAA Division III regional and national meets. For NCAA Divisions I and II, men race 10,000 meters and women 6,000 meters at regional and national competitions. The largest cross country invitational in the world is at Mt. SAC. The IAAF World Championships and USATF National Championships consist of a long course and a short course. The long course is 12,000m for men and 8,000m for women, while the short course is 4,000m for both men and women.

Cross-country running is normally scored on a team basis. Points are awarded to individual runners equal to the position in which they cross the finish line (first place gets 1 point, second place gets 2 points, etc). Only the first five on each team are counted towards that team's score. The sixth and seventh runners on each team are sometimes called "pushers" or "displacers," because while they do not earn points for their team, they sometimes (depending on the league rules) push up the point score of each opponent after them. Teams are awarded ranks based on the number of points their top runners have, with lowest being best (similar to golf). The numbers of scoring runners can vary from four to twelve. The rules in the event of a tie vary depending on the competition. Often, the team which has a lower sixth-place runner is the winner (however, in the US NCAA, the sixth runner is not used and ties are possible), or the team to close first wins.

The lowest possible score is a 15 (1+2+3+4+5), achieved by a team's runners finishing in each of the top five positions. The opponents would have a score of 40 (6+7+8+9+10), which is considered a "sweep" for the winning team. Of course, if the winning team's 6th and 7th runner's came in 6th and 7th, the opponent's score would be a whopping 50 (8+9+10+11+12). Accordingly, the official score of a forfeited dual meet is 15-50.

Notable cross-country athletes include Kenenisa Bekele, an Ethiopian who won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in the 10km event and the silver medal in the 5km, has done the double of winning the short course and long course at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships five years in a row. After the 2006 Championships, he indicated that it may have been his last time competing at World Cross. Many notable United States track and field distance athletes were high school cross country runners, including, Olympic 10,000 meter champion Billy Mills, the late Steve Prefontaine, the only man to ever beat Prefontaine head to head, Gerry Lindgren, and American 5,000 meter standout Bob Kennedy. Outstanding American cross-country runners also include Don Lash, who won seven consecutive national championships from 1934 to 1940, and Pat Porter, who won eight titles from 1982 to 1989.

For some, the coach is important in cross-country. Where they are important, coaches move throughout the course to dictate strategy and motivate their teams. While the race is usually won by an outstanding individual, it is often the battles between the secondary teammates that determine which team wins. An example of where this is particularly important are the mob matches that take place between many clubs in London and elsewhere. In these, the number of scorers is detemined by the size of the smaller team, and for important matches can number about fifty.

One of the most successful cross-country coaches at the collegiate level is Jack Daniels of SUNY Cortland. The Daniels training method outlined in his book Daniels' Running Formula is used in all levels of cross-country from high school to the international elite.

Cross-country strategies vary from coach to coach, but the most useful weapon is a good home course. In high school competition, coaches attempt to place the course so that it can be reached in a short run from their school. This allows them to train on it frequently, giving their runners confidence and an extra edge in competition.

Other strategies include running the top 5-7 members of the team as a pack for as long as possible, even to the finish; deploying a rabbit to lure the other team's top runners into using up their reserves; and "kicking," staying on the shoulder of the leader until the last 100-200m, turning the 3-mile fight into an exhausted sprint to the finish.

Athletics (Track and Field), Orienteering, Cross Country Skiing, Cycling, Swimming, Triathlon, Fell running

• History of Cross-Country Running
• U. S. Cross-Country Championships
• Dyestat.com-national records of cross-country and track