One of the best things about cross country running is that you don’t need expensive gear or special equipment to do it. The gear requirements for cross country runners are almost as simple as those for swimmers, with one important exception: the running shoes.
Every serious runner should own at least three pairs of shoes: one pair for transportation and road work, one for workouts, and one for racing. The first pair you can wear to and from the practice area or the track, and it can also be worn for road work. The second pair is for your regular workouts. The third pair, if you want to racing competitions, would be your racing shoes.
For working out, you need comfortable yet sturdy cross country running shoes. They need to be comfortable, yet still very light, because in matters of weight every single ounce counts. Adding just 4 ounces of weight means that the runner has to lift 220 extra pounds of weight for each mile run (880 strides times 4 ounces). During a long run, that works out to your legs lifting almost an extra half ton of weight!
For training clothes, you should look for lightweight materials that protect from the weather but are still able to breathe. The running jersey and trunks should both be very light, for the same reasons of weight mentioned above. You can also eliminate jewelry from your workouts and especially from competitions – again, you don’t need to carry the extra weight.
Practice gear can be very cheap and simple. You don’t need fancy Lycra tights or designer sweatpants. Simple cotton clothing costs much less and works just as well. You can use stocking caps provided protection against cold and wind, but it’s usually more practical to use sweatshirt with an attached hood because the hood can get lost or forgotten.
