The Gryphon Gazette

By: Tarik B. ‘25 

I’m just going to be honest with you: no one who claims to be a sane crystal student would even think of, much less attempt, the sport of cross country. Ask any of those Crystal individuals what they think of competitive running, and they will all answer the same: “Why would someone want to run, just for the sake of running?”

And yet, to this day, so many high schoolers nationwide are drawn to this sport. What is it that’s so captivating about Cross Country? Nobody wants to watch a group of sweaty, tired runners wearing singlets and goofy-looking shoes run on a dirt trail for hours at a time. So why would anyone want to participate in something that seems so unappealing?

Well, to even attempt to answer these questions, one needs to understand the history of running and how it came to be. Humans have been able to run from the moment they developed legs. It is, by many scientists, hypothesized that over 2.6 million years ago, humankind developed the ability to run for long distances, potentially to hunt prey or escape from predators. Humans needed the best way to ensure survival and instinctively turned to running.

Over the course of human history, running has become a competitive sport for many civilizations, including ancient Greece, Asia, Egypt, and Africa, as evidenced by legends of running. One such legend tells the tale of Phillipides and the origin of Marathon;  Phillippides was made to run away from the Marathon battlefield to Athens to pronounce to all there, that the once-great Persians were defeated. And with that, the concept of running began to take its root in humans’ competitive nature. The first Olympics event was held with a single running race, and unlike most newer sports, the basic ruling and concept of Cross Country Racing has not changed much: All runners begin at a starting line, and all runners race to complete the course before the others. 

“Well, if you put it that way, it must be easy, right?” That is what my 6th-grade self believed when my mom got me to try the sport for the first time. “Try it. It is not as bad as people say. You will be good at it,” my mom would say. Ever since then, Cross Country, a sport that does not require much equipment and whose rules are very straightforward, has been the leading factor in my life. In 6th grade, however, I was still unaware of what a commitment it would become and the connections it would create. 

The Crystal XC team has begun building a legacy as they climb the ranks in the State of California, even having a chance this year to compete nationally but are also helping improve our community to greater heights. During the summer, a group of Crystal cross country members came together, led by senior Lachlan G., to give back to the very trails and communities that they use to spread the name of Crystal XC. They started with carrying barrels of rocks, sand, and dirt, to fill back up the ravine that was created on the trial due to the sedimentary destruction of last year’s rains. The Ravine was 8 inches deep, when the team started, and spanned a path of almost 100 yards. Through arduous work, the team managed to finish that stretch of the path within the 3 hours that they were there. Ultimately, allowing for the trail to open that much sooner. 

However, cross country is not just about competing, but also about how and with whom you strengthen your companionship and relationships. Teammates experience the same pain, run the same long courses, and help strengthen the same communities, all while growing the Crystal community as well. 

Just before a meet on Wednesday, October 4th, senior captain Dean W. said,  “Today we have a big race ahead of us. Let us focus and run for those who are unfortunately unable to join us to race on this course. Run for Ollie [B. ‘25, who is currently injured], run for the coaches because we all know just how badly they crave to be on this very starting line with us. Let us run for each other and have a great race.” 

As Dean stated, the Crystal XC team is not only about bettering oneself or only running for individual gains, but we run for those who are prevented from being able to run, lest it is from injury, conflicts, or fatigue.” The Crystal team’s growth is not just determined because of the great individuals within it, but because of the space and legacy our previous runners left behind.”

To unpack this further, I interviewed a few runners on the team to understand better why this sport at Crystal has been drawing some attention. Here is what they told me:

Allie W. ‘27 started running when she was about ten years old. Often jogging with her parents on afternoons when she did not have soccer practice. It began as a source of refreshment and happiness and then as a hobby. A member of XC club Team Analysis, she competed in a few races, including XC as well as track and field. Ultimately, her love of the sport led her to quit soccer and pursue running instead, wishing that this love would continue throughout her college endeavors. She noticed that “many people think that running is a solitary sport. You focus on yourself and you only.” However, she continued, these assumptions “couldn’t be more false. One of the most meaningful things about the sport is the community built around it. There are some amazingly kind people in running. Almost all of my good memories are running with my friends. They make you giggle and push you to be your best.” She also has been able to create a lot of positive change through her running. She said, “Running an activity that supports bigger causes. I can’t think of another sport that has a positive impact on the world like running. People run to support disease, cancer treatments, charity groups, and homelessness, it is a sport of connectedness and kindness. Running drew me in because of all of this; it has been the best habit I have formed so far.”

When Leo K. ‘27, was in elementary school, he would occasionally jog with his dad. He had an on-off relationship with running through middle school as he tried to focus on other sports as well. But his passion for the sport would eventually draw him back in. He decided to once again try the sport entering Crystal and hasn’t looked back since. He said to those who doubt the sport: “Some say, ‘Cross country is just going to be running, running, running,’ but Cross Country s more than just hard work; it contains and strengthens many meaningful connections between athletes and the world.” 

Lachlan G. ‘24 and Maya W. ‘24  joined Crystal’s XC team in 7th grade and 6th grade, respectively. But they both wished they started the sport sooner. They agreed that, although the Crystal XC team is small, we have made a big impact. Lachlan continued,  “The main contributors to our success were:

1. We were all willing to work very hard. Not only was our team willing to push ourselves during the workouts but also to do these small things such as eating healthy, rolling out, stretching getting, good sleep, etc…
2. We had an infrastructure in place to succeed. The Crystal Cross country team has been successful for a very long time in the CCS coach car is an incredibly experienced coach and we have had many and many great Runners come before us so we have amazing role models to look up to additionally we stayed disciplined and always follow the training plan. 
3. We raced for each other. Instead of just making the big races all just about “how am I going to run today?,” we all made it about “how are we going to run together as a team?” This helps us build our ‘legacy behind the rankings;’ all the JV runners who didn’t make the varsity team still work equally as hard, the runners who came before us have built the foundation for this program, and the coaching staff puts so much time and effort for us.” 

Maya added, “It’s so exciting! Last year, when both boys’ and girls’ teams won the State Championship, it was a shock for a lot of people since we weren’t projected to win, but as of right now, we’re high up in the rankings. This year I think the team is extra motivated to win and the intensity of our training has also increased. The girls’ team also got an amazing group of freshmen both this year and last, so that’s been great for our team. I also think a big part of it is our consistency; we run pretty much year-round except for a week or two off after both cross-country season and track season, and we start cross-country practices in late June. The consistent training we do adds up.”