You should go to a cross country race.

You probably don’t think too much about cross country. You know it exists, you’ve probably seen us running around campus, or heard the community meeting announcements about upcoming races. You probably don’t show up to these races to support the team, which I get; the concept of watching people run around doesn’t sound too exciting to me either.

But saying that cross country is just people running, while technically correct, causes you to miss out on a truly special experience. It’s not just running: it’s a community. It’s about learning how to push yourself when you’d rather do anything else.

Cross country has met throughout most of the summer, and we also meet every Saturday at 8:00 AM to run, so our overall practice time is actually significantly more than other sports. We have spent hundreds of hours together as a team, and that creates a really special bond. Since it’s quite a small group, we all get to know each other very well – it’s almost like a second family.

I think that SA sophomore Barbara Leyba put it best when I asked her what cross country meant to her. Initially, she tried out for volleyball, but after being exposed to the cross country team during fall sports initiation, she was drawn to them. Leyba said, “I met most of my friends I hung out with at lunch through cross country.”

“I feel like when you’re running, sometimes it’s really hard to remember why I’m giving it my all, and when I see someone cheering me on, it puts meaning to it, and makes it all worth it, like I have to keep going for them.”

I couldn’t agree more myself. I always get a sudden surge of energy whenever someone cheers me on. It’s one of the most raw feelings of determination I’ve ever felt, like this person came here to support me, so I have to do my best and run my hardest in order to make them proud. Your performance in cross country is 100% motivation, and my best races have been the ones where I constantly hear my teammates cheering me on, telling me I can do it.

So I have a challenge for everyone: show up to a single cross country meet this year to cheer us on. When you’re there, you’re a reason for people to keep going, to help them discover just how far they can push their limits. And that is a truly magical experience.