International Cross Country Championships
The International Cross Country Championships was an annual international competition in cross- country running. It was created in 1903 by the International Cross Country Union (ICCU) and it marked the first time that an annual international championships had been held for the sport.
Frank Sando crossing the line to win the 1957 edition of the championships
Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically 3–12 kilometres (1.9–7.5 mi) long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road and minor obstacles. It is both an individual and a team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during autumn and winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.
A men's cross country competition with Elliott Heath and Hassan Mead leading a large pack in Northfield, Minnesota
A children's cross country competition in Čakovec, Croatia
The start of a typical cross country race, as an official fires a gun to signal the start
Runners at the 2010 European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, Portugal