Running is punishment in most sports; in cross country it’s the sport itself. Cross country is a long distance running sport where competitors run various distances in various terrains. Cross country is one of the most popular high school sports in the world, with over half a million athletes in the US alone. ISB has the privilege of hosting our own team, with twenty-four total varsity members. In this episode, I interview a rookie (Independence) and a veteran (Lily), to learn their perspectives on being varsity XC runners.
Indie had only been running for two months, but somehow found himself representing ISB at IASAS, which he describes as “ a must try once in your life”. Indie, a freshman, first started his running journey at varsity tryouts, where he was a natural. “My dad encouraged me to try something new “ is what Indie says compelled him to try out. After a very hard season full of memories, one of his being the invitational retreat in Kanchanaburi, the time had come for IASAS in Jakarta. “ I was excited through the full time of IASAS, but was a little nervous before the races,” Indie recalls. There was no reason to be nervous, however, as he had his best race of the season, coming 5th for ISB. With his first season completed, Indie is committed to improving in the coming years, and one day winning an IASAS gold.
Lily just had her best and last Cross Country season ever. Earning All-Tournament, winning gold in IASAS, and achieving MVP are just a few of the accomplishments she earned this season. She wasn’t always a runner though, and when asked how she began she said ”When I first arrived at ISB, I tried out for volleyball and didn’t get in … My friend was telling me about cross country and told me to come to one training session and see if I liked it. I went to one … and just joined in, and my love for running began.” This happened three years ago. Over the past three years Lily has made many memories. Lots of her favorites stem from the Kanchanaburi Invitationals,” I would say some memorable moments would be traveling for the first time to Kanchanaburi and learning how to run in proper cross-country conditions.” Many moments also come from IASAS. “My first ever IASAS was definitely a memorable moment for me because it was the first time I got to be hosted by another school, and I just remember having so much fun.”
Even though Lily’s past IASASs were very memorable, her best IASAS was this year when “the girls went up on stage and collected our gold medals; this was truly a euphoric moment.” Lily managed to end her senior year on the best note possible, with golds in both the 5k and the 3k. When asked about this season, she said, “ My last ISB cross-country experience was the best I could have ever asked for. I felt lots of mixed emotions. I began the season really excited. I was eager to see all the new kids and their abilities. During the season, it was so fascinating to see everybody improve and grow into amazing runners. By the last month of the season, I began to feel sad and emotional because it was the last time running with all my teammates, the bonds and relationships that I had made with everyone were truly the highlight.” Lily is a couple months away from going to university, so I asked her for what she took away from all this time running in high school. She says she has “ learned skills of discipline, time management and organisation that will be so beneficial for any future endeavours or life experiences. I have also learnt the importance of being a leader and what it means to be a mentor for people younger than me.”
From ISB’s track to Kanchananburi’s forest, Lily and Indie have just completed their 2025 cross country season. For Indie, it was his first. For Lily, it was her last. While many people view running as a punishment, it has been the opposite for Indie and Lily. Despite their different levels of experience, they have both learned life skills on the course which will carry over into their future in ways more than just running.
