The sport of high school Cross Country (commonly designated as XC) is a competitive team sport offered in the fall (August-November) for male and female students in grades 9 through 12. Training and optional group runs start in June and July.
Teams consist of five or more runners who all race together at the same time with other teams. The top five finishers from each team are scored based on their finishing place (1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, and so on), which are added up for the team score. As in golf, the lowest score wins. The first 7 runners, however, are considered the scoring team. In North Carolina, ties in team scoring are resolved by comparing the sixth-place finishers from the tying teams. The team with the best sixth-place finisher shall prevail. The lowest possible score is a 15, achieved when a team's runners finish in each of the top positions (1+2+3+4+5 = 15).
North Carolina high school cross country races are typically between 3k (1.8 miles) to 5k (3.1 miles) in length. The courses are mostly run across grassy fields, wooded paths, and have a mixture of hills. Some courses include creek crossings and log jumps.
**Interesting article on the history/origins of cross country: http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-columns/origins-cross-country
Teams consist of five or more runners who all race together at the same time with other teams. The top five finishers from each team are scored based on their finishing place (1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, and so on), which are added up for the team score. As in golf, the lowest score wins. The first 7 runners, however, are considered the scoring team. In North Carolina, ties in team scoring are resolved by comparing the sixth-place finishers from the tying teams. The team with the best sixth-place finisher shall prevail. The lowest possible score is a 15, achieved when a team's runners finish in each of the top positions (1+2+3+4+5 = 15).
North Carolina high school cross country races are typically between 3k (1.8 miles) to 5k (3.1 miles) in length. The courses are mostly run across grassy fields, wooded paths, and have a mixture of hills. Some courses include creek crossings and log jumps.
**Interesting article on the history/origins of cross country: http://www.runnersworld.com/rt-columns/origins-cross-country