Cross Country (XC). Two words that strike fear into the hearts of the most hardened of runners! Cue school memories of being forced to run around a field in freezing January blizzards that seem to colour memories of what is actually a really fantastic form of running. XC can seriously improve your overall running fitness and moreover, is less impactful on the joints. It’s also very often a whole load of fun to boot!
Despite the Club carrying the ‘Road Runners’ name, XC has always been an integral part of our activities and we always try to encourage our runners to take part in events. The XC season normally starts when the road racing calendar diminishes, beginning with short, fun, relays in October and progressing to some more demanding races in February and March (culminating in the Scottish Athletics National XC at Callander Park, Falkirk). Whatever the type of race you choose to do, XC is a seriously good way of improving your running and building strength in the leg muscles, particularly those stabilising muscles in the knees and ankles that are less challenged on flat roads. Running on grass, trails and mud also gives much more cushioning than Tarmac, so the legs take less of a pounding. All-in-all it’s a thoroughly worthwhile form of running.
We’ve had our fair share of XC success in recent years, winning relay team prizes as well as individual medals at both local and district level. We have a dedictated XC Club Championship programme and the establishment of the XC District Leagues (in no small part due to the efforts of our former President, Richard Leyton) also gives us a chance to compete locally with fellow clubs (West District) in a 3 race series each year.
Despite being located in the heart of Glasgow, the Club has access to a huge range of XC and trail routes in wonderful green spaces including Bellahouston Park, Pollok Park and Linn Park (to name but a few) and notwithstanding having good access to glorious countryside and woodland north and south of the Clyde. So why not take advantage of our location and give XC a try!