XC Runners Hit The Road

The flowing rush of nerves and adrenaline, pushing athletes to their absolute limits in the hopes of a victorious race. On September 20th 2019, the boys and girls Varsity Cross Country teams embarked on their journey to Kanchanaburi for the annual Cross Country Invitational, where the competed against 15 other schools. The sweat, grit, tears, and pain paid evidently paying off, with both boys and girls coming out as bronze medal recipients. 

Cross Country within itself is a sport which requires both dedication and perseverance, compromising on training will immediately impact running performance. The ISB Cross Country team undergoes intensive training daily, which at the end of each week culminates into either a competitive five or three kilometer race.  

In order for athletes to possess the opportunity of traveling to Kanchanaburi, not only must they obtain a position on the Varsity team, but they must also be ranked  amongst the top ten runners on the team (only 20 boys and girls are taken in total.) The possibility of traveling to exchange, as well as the IASAS Cross Country Championships ( held at the International School of Manilla this year), keep athletes to continue working hard in the hopes of being traveling and competing against other schools. 

Although short (the duration of the invitational is only two days), during this weekend, athletes push are constantly pushing their bodies to the limit. Upon arrival at Kanchanaburi on Friday, all the competing schools walk/jog around the course, to ensure that on race day, runners do not get lost. Awareness of the course is also crucial when planning forming pacing strategies. The next morning, at 7:00 am, the competitive five-kilometer race takes place.

 Runners rise early in the morning, preparing to run the beautiful mountainous landscapes of Kanchanaburi. In order to maximize performance level, runners must attempt to energize themself through hydrate and the consumption of carbs or fruit, a challenging task to perform when nervous before a race. Lieve Olufsen (11) shares, “there’s nothing quite like the nerves you feel before a race, I always feel like throwing up because I’m always so nervous!” 

After the exhilarating five-kilometer race which the runners participate in on Saturday morning, the rest of the day is filled with other activities which allow the students to collaborate with runners from other schools! The next morning, runners wake up at 5:45 am in order to run a “fun run” which totals out to ten kilometers. This race is not competitive, and provides runners with the opportunity to appreciate the beautiful mountainous landscapes of Kanchanaburi without the stress of racing. 

Overall, the 2019 Cross Country Invitational, hosted by ISB, was extremely successful as per usual. Julian John (12) mentions, “I’m so proud of both our boys and girls, not only did we have fun racing in such extreme muddy conditions, but our performance was also strong.” 

Good luck to our Cross Country Panthers for the rest of the season, as they make their way to super IASAS held at the International School of Manilla! Go Panthers!