NCAA Cross Country Running: The Rain, The Park & Other Things

Runner crosses finish line at NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships

In 1959, British writer Alan Sillitoe published a short story entitled The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. It was made into a movie in 1962, and ultimately received enough acclaim to land it on the British Film Institute’s list of the greatest British films of the 20th century.

I never read the story nor saw the movie. In fact the only thing I’ve ever known about the plot line is that it revolved around cross country running. And that one small nugget of knowledge has always framed my perception of the sport. Cross country = lonely.

Hey, I never said it was a rational perception.
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Posted in Collegiate Level Events, Cross Country, Men's & Women's Competitions, Play-Off Contests, Tourneys, Matches, Meets & Races | Leave a comment