Cross country is a sport that is just a little bit different than others. Some do not even know what the sport is, how it works, or have ever attended a meet. To some, it is just running, and to others, it is our everyday life.
To those who have never attended a cross-country meet, normally it is on a golf course or some form of grassy, field-like area. Some different distances can be run but normally, the women run six kilometers and the men run eight kilometers. To actively watch and cheer at a meet, the fans cannot stay in one place. There is no showing up and sitting in bleachers being able to view the whole game from one sport. This sport takes some movement from the fans as well.
“When watching cross country, it is harder to see what is going on unless you follow them closely,” Kristen Dreyer said. “Other sports have bleachers or happen on a field or court.”
Quentin Dreyer, Kristen’s son, is a cross-country and track and field senior. They have been following him around at meets for years and it has not gotten easier watching him.
“Some courses can be very difficult to watch,” Kristen Dreyer said. “Golf courses are the best viewing option because they are more open.”
Allie Czapla’s father, Paul Czapla, said that he has always found watching cross-country meets to be a blast but can be hard to catch it all.
“This is the one thing with cross country that I wish was easier to view more of the races, not a whole lot can be done about that without making the course dull and boring for the runners,” Paul Czapla said.
The joke at cross-country meets between runners is that the fans have to participate a little bit too. When it is not the race a runner is currently running, we normally watch as the parents go chasing after the gun goes off to their next preplanned spot to watch. There is a second race happening, in which parents can get to the next viewing point the fastest.
The support that comes from the parents at these races is a little bit different than other sporting events that most go to. There is no yelling at a ref, there is not any form of ref, and no yelling at other players, normally parents are actually cheering for other kids on other teams. As an athlete who has probably raced easily over 60 meets in my lifetime, there is overwhelming support from everyone who is there.
“Unlike other sports, the fan base is almost 100% positive,” Paul Czapla said. “In other sports, the opposing fan base would never cheer for anyone on the other team but in cross country you always see parents and coaches from other teams cheering on all runners.”
Cross-country support, viewing, and coverage is a tricky topic. With a low amount of fans and few people who fully understand the sport does not allow for a lot of coverage by the media. The one thing most runners can always count on, is their parents showing up and cheering for them loud.