Cross Country begins with personal training in the summer, and the team’s activities officially start mid-August and last until late October. “Students need to be conditioned before the start of the season” says Coach Chadbourne. Cross Country events see their athletes run in a 5 kilometer (5k) race, 3.1 miles in the imperial measurement system. Cross Country has 8-9 meets a year and both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams run the 5k races. Cross Country practice consists of running after school and a “long run” each week that extends each week.

Cross Country is dedicated to helping its runners improve their own times and forges a community among its members. Runners push themselves to do better than their past times and encourage other runners to do the same, forging a bond of comradery between members. Coach Chadbourne recalls that when he was in high school, he thought that Cross Country was an “exclusive group” but after coaching Cross Country, sees that it is a group that anyone can be a part of as long as they are willing to put the effort into it and encourages students to try Cross Country.

Due to Covid-19, Cross Country runners and coaches had to adapt this year. Practices and meets were run with masks on, the starts of races were staggered, and runners were sent out in groups based on their speed. “We raced whoever we could,” says Coach Mannon. Cross Country was unable to host their home meet at St. Anselm College this year due to Covid-19. This was Cross Country’s third year of Mr. Chadbourne and Mrs.Mannon coaching.