Compare And Contrast Track And Cross Country
A non-runner may say that track and cross country are the same sporting events; this is a worldwide misconception for the non-runner. Although the two sports share some similarities, the quantity of differences is far greater.
The two sports have many differences; the overarching difference between track and cross country is the pace and the amount of distance that one runs. Track is typically a faster pace than cross country; this is because track is composed of shorter distances. Track offers a variety of sprints; whereas cross country is focused more towards pace. This makes cross country more of an endurance sport when contrasted with track, which is more of a muscle strength sport; either a runner has the speed or they do not. Also within …show more content…
The track is made out of polyurethane, a sort of rubbery, bouncy substance; this surface is durable for all weather and offers exceptional shock absorption. On the other hand, cross country typically runs on trails which can be hilly, muddy, or sandy. The terrain in cross country is very inconsistent; a runner never knows what the course will be until the race begins. However, the races are consistent within track; the terrain never surprises the runner.
Another difference between track and cross country is the amount of people running at one time. Generally within track, the only people running at a time is however many lanes are available on the track; if eight lanes are available, then typically eight people would be running at once. However, within cross country, everyone runs at once; this means a race could have over 100 runners at once.
Another distinction between track and cross country is the time of year for each sport. Usually track begins at the end of winter, more towards the beginning of spring; this provides the season with very cool, bone-chilling weather that eventually warms up a bit. However, in cross country, the season begins at the end of summer and carries all throughout the fall; the weather is typically very warm and begins cooling down tremendously towards the end of the season. The weather varies exceedingly between the sports. Despite these differences, the two sports share some similarities.
The two sports have many differences; the overarching difference between track and cross country is the pace and the amount of distance that one runs. Track is typically a faster pace than cross country; this is because track is composed of shorter distances. Track offers a variety of sprints; whereas cross country is focused more towards pace. This makes cross country more of an endurance sport when contrasted with track, which is more of a muscle strength sport; either a runner has the speed or they do not. Also within …show more content…
The track is made out of polyurethane, a sort of rubbery, bouncy substance; this surface is durable for all weather and offers exceptional shock absorption. On the other hand, cross country typically runs on trails which can be hilly, muddy, or sandy. The terrain in cross country is very inconsistent; a runner never knows what the course will be until the race begins. However, the races are consistent within track; the terrain never surprises the runner.
Another difference between track and cross country is the amount of people running at one time. Generally within track, the only people running at a time is however many lanes are available on the track; if eight lanes are available, then typically eight people would be running at once. However, within cross country, everyone runs at once; this means a race could have over 100 runners at once.
Another distinction between track and cross country is the time of year for each sport. Usually track begins at the end of winter, more towards the beginning of spring; this provides the season with very cool, bone-chilling weather that eventually warms up a bit. However, in cross country, the season begins at the end of summer and carries all throughout the fall; the weather is typically very warm and begins cooling down tremendously towards the end of the season. The weather varies exceedingly between the sports. Despite these differences, the two sports share some similarities.