When Half Your Team Didn’t Train This Summer
Bekka showed up to the alumni race on a steamy Friday evening in August. She had barely run all summer….
Training Articles for High School XC and Track Coaches
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How Long Is a Cross Country Race? Distances and Average Times
The short answer A high school cross country race is 5,000 meters, or 3.1 miles. Middle school races run 1.5…
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How to Start a Middle School Cross Country Program
A step-by-step guide to starting a middle school cross country team: approvals, state rules, budget, finding a coach, building a course, and recruiting runners.
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Heel Pain in Young Runners: A Coach’s Guide to Sever’s Disease
Sever’s disease is the most common cause of heel pain in growing runners. How to spot it, what the evidence says about treatment, and how to manage training around it.
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How Many Miles Should a 12-Year-Old Run? A Coach’s Answer
What the AAP, NATA and USATF actually say about how much a 12-year-old should run, why no one publishes a weekly mileage number, and what to watch instead.
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Your First Week Coaching Middle School Cross Country
A day-by-day plan for your first week coaching middle school cross country: what to do before day one, the first five practices, and what parents will ask.
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12 Middle School Cross Country Workouts Disguised as Games
Twelve middle school cross country workouts built as games, with the dose, the setup, and the way each one goes wrong. Real training, not just fun.
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How to Coach Middle School Cross Country
How to coach middle school cross country: practice structure, volume in minutes not miles, workouts disguised as games, and grades 5 to 12 on one field.
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Jackson Spencer Training: The Undefeated Blueprint (2026)
Jackson Spencer Training: The Undefeated Blueprint (2026) How a Utah Senior Went Undefeated Across Nine Races, Swept Both National Titles,…
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Josh Kerr Training: Mile World Record Breakdown & Mileage
How Josh Kerr Broke a 27-Year-Old World Record on 65 to 70 Miles a Week, Why His Coach Skips Lactate…
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Running in Wildfire Smoke: A Cross Country Training Guide
A coach-to-coach guide for cross country training in wildfire smoke. Learn how to read the AQI, modify workouts, and keep your runners safe and fit.
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Japanese vs. American High School Distance Running
Japanese vs. American High School Distance Running Five hundred sub-15:00 boys, a nationally televised relay, and the one training change…
