FAQs about Running

Road Running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road (as opposed to track and cross country running). These events normally range from 5 km to long distance, such as half marathons and marathons, and may involve large numbers of runners or wheelchair entrants. Road running is part of group of road events known as "road races".

Road running may offer those involved a range of challenges and interests such as dealing with hills, sharp bends, varied surfaces, inclement weather, and involvement in a large group. Aerobic fitness, or the ability of the body to use oxygen, is important to help complete the long distance. Anaerobic fitness, the body's ability to respond when there isn't enough oxygen for the muscle, is helpful when encountering hills and providing energy for a sprint at the finish.

The impact of running on roads puts more stress on the feet, knees and lower back than running on dirt or grass. It can compensate by providing a consistent, level surface. It may put less strain on the Achilles tendon.

Race courses are usually held on the streets of major cities and towns but they could be on any road. Most road races are either 5 km (3.1 miles), 10 km (6.2 miles), half-marathon (21.097 km, 13.1 miles), or marathon (42.195 km, 26.2 miles), but non-standard distances are also used. The "Round the Bays" run in Auckland, New Zealand is 8.4 km (5.2 miles), the Falmouth Road Race in Falmouth, Cape Cod is 7.1 miles long, San Francisco's "Bay to Breakers" is 12 km (7.46 miles); "City to Surf" in Sydney, Australia is 14 km (8.7 miles), Honolulu's "Great Aloha Run" is 8.15 miles (13.12 km), the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida is 15 km (9.3 miles), the "Medtronic TC 10", in Minneapolis/St. Paul is 16.09 km (10 miles) and the "Charleston Distance Run" in Charleston, West Virginia is 15 miles (24.14 km).

Most road race courses have a certificate of course accuracy which confirms that they have been measured with an accuracy of better than 0.1%, i.e. to within 10m for a 10 km race . Measurement is normally done by means of a calibrated bicycle fitted with a Jones Counter. If a world record is set on a race course, the course is independently remeasured to verify that it was the correct length. 

Cross Country Running

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. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water. It is a popular participatory sport, and usually takes place in temperate regions during the autumn and winter when soft conditions underfoot prevail. Each cross-country running course is different in composition. Distances are generally standardized, 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 or even on the same course on different years as the weather and underfoot conditions can be significantly different. For this reason, records of the fastest times in international competition are not kept.

Races are started en masse. A gun or horn is then sounded, and runners have a few hundred meters or yards to converge from the wide starting line into the much narrower path that must be followed until the finish. 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.

Cross-country running involves very little specialized equipment. Unless it is particularly cold, most races are run in shorts and vests or singlets, usually in club or school colors. Footwear is typically a pair of spikes, sometimes called cleats, which are light running shoes with a fairly rigid rubber sole that include metal spikes to maintain grip. Regulation spikes for cross country courses range from .25-.5 inches.

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 school (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. The course length varies, as listed above, but middle school cross country distances are generally around 2 miles for both male and female.