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 never attended a meet. To some, it is just running, and to others, it is everyday life.
To those who have never attended a cross-country meet, it is usually on a golf course or some form of grassy, field-like area. Different distances can be run at these locations, but the women normally run six kilometers and the men run eight kilometers. To actively watch and cheer at a meet, the fans cannot stay in one place due to the length of the run. There is no showing up and sitting in bleachers if watchers hope to be able to view the whole meet. This sport requires some movement from 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 Dreyer’s son, is a cross-country and track and field senior. His family has 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 he has always found watching cross country meets to be a blast but hard to watch.
“I wish it was easier to view more of the races, but 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 runners aren’t actively running, they normally watch as the parents go chasing to their next preplanned spot after the gun goes off . There is a second race happening in which parents sprint to the next viewing point.
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 which creates 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. 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, it does not receive 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.
