50 Cross Country Quotes for Sports Enthusiasts

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published December 30, 2022

Cross-country quotes are popular among people who love being part of a sports event or watching the game.

If you are one of them, this is the article for you.

Here, we have gathered and compiled the best cross-country quotes that are worthy of reading and sharing.

Apart from this, we have also shared some knowledge about cross-country running.

So let’s dive in!

What is cross-country?

Cross Country or commonly known as CC, is a running event that involves running through rough terrain.

It’s a famous sport in which many people and athletes participate.

These events usually occur during the autumn and winter seasons when the ground is soft and slippery.

The courses used for this type of running even include:

Grasslands
Muddy areas
Woodlands Rocky or green hills
Flat ground
Rivers and other types of water bodies

History of cross-country sports

When it comes to the historical perspective of cross-country sports, it all started with a Crick Run.

This event was first held in 1838 at Rugby School located in England.

During the 19th century, cross-country used to be a popular event that took place in England-based private schools.

Cross-country was first introduced to America in 1878 by William C. Vosburgh.

Initially, this type of event was used for training the athletes.

However, after 9 years of its inception, cross-country running was taken up as a formal sport.

At present, they hold this kind of sporting event under the supervision of IAAF.

The World Cross Country Championships is the biggest event organized by this organization.

Distances and courses

The interesting part associated with course country running is the thrill of running through different courses.

In addition, the distances also differ depending on the gender and age groups.

There are various types of cross-country competitions or meets, including:

Dual meets
Conference championships
State championships
Invitational meets

Now, we have learned much about cross-country.

Let’s come to the main section that is related to quotes.

You will also enjoy our article on agility quotes.

Top 10 cross-country quotes

Here, we have curated and listed the top 10 cross-country quotes. You will find them interesting and would like to share them with your friends.

1. “I prayed for cross-country to go away.” — Eileen Heisler

2. “Cross-country track, greyhound bus ride.” — Snoop Dog

3. “Cross country embodies risk, just like life.” — Nick Steele

4. “I really like cross-country. You’re one with the mud.” — Lynn Jennings

5. “My cross-country shoes have more miles than your car.” — Hal Higdon

6. “Crosswords, cross birds, I cross country with a couple of those.” — Pusha T

7. “Success is not a 100-yard dash. It’s more like a cross-country run.” — Romeo Marrishaw

8. “Cross Country is like poker. You have to be holding five good cards all the time.” — Rollie Geiger

9. “I loved cross country right from the start. I loved the open territory and going the distance.” — Bill Rodgers

10. “Today the world cross-country championships is the highest regarded international competition in cross-country running.” — Skye Arthur-Banning

Cross-country quotes for runners

Competing in a running competition is an enthusiastic passion for runners, whether in an open muddy field or in the woods. Here we present the best cross-country quotes about runners and running.

11. “Cross-country runners do it in the woods.” — Hal Higdon

12. “I love running cross country… On a track, I feel like a hamster.” — Robin Williams

13. “Running cross country is the closest man will ever get to flying.” — Joseph Vanderstel

14. “Cross-country runners are judged both as individuals and as a team.” — Skye Arthur-Banning

15. “You know you run cross country when you are freakishly good at estimating distances.” — Unknown

16. “You know you are a cross country runner when your shoes have more mileage than your car.” — Wilbert Gilbry

17. “The most common reason why cross-country runners don’t achieve their goal is that they get injured.” — Jeff Galloway

18. “I found I could also be good at cross country. I don’t think my running style has anything to do with it. If you have speed and your body feels good, you can do any distance.” — Catherine Ndereba

19. “In my junior year in 1957, the cross-country runners were issued canvas shoes with thin, hard soles that had no cushioning, no lateral support, and almost no heel-they were what a later generation call minimalist.” — Ed Ayres

20. “Running taught me valuable lessons. In cross-country competitions, training counted more than intrinsic ability, and I could compensate for a lack of natural aptitude with diligence and discipline. I applied this in everything I did.” — Nelson Mandela

Informational cross country quotes

This section of cross country quotes aims to share with you the quotes full of helpful information about cross country. Give a read and get benefited.

21. “Cross country is a mental sport and we’re all insane.” — Unknown

22. “Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.” — Steven Wright

23. “The freedom of Cross Country is so primitive. It’s woman vs. nature.” — Lynn Jennings

24. “Cross country will test your will, your courage, and ultimately your discipline.” — Nick Steele

25. “Pushing too hard, too soon is the most common cause of cross-country injuries.” — Jeff Galloway

26. “Cross Country: No half times, no time outs, no substitutions. It must be the only true sport.” — Chuck Norris

27. “Cross-country was introduced into the summer Olympic games in 1912 with Sweden taking the gold medal.” — Skye Arthur-Banning

28. “In the beginning of cross-country travel by car, the thing that was almost as common as cars driving cross-country was cross-country road memoirs.” — Hal Higdon

29. “The start of a World Cross Country event is like riding a horse in the middle of a buffalo stampede. It’s a thrill if you keep up, but one slip and you’re nothing but hoof prints.” — Ed Eyestone

30. “Cross country was something that started off as a punishment from my father for low grades. I guess he didn’t realize it would take off so well. It gave me something to do with my free time and it taught me to be accountable.” — A.J. Ellison

Cross country quotes about different sports

These are the quotes about different cross country sports like skiing, running, bicycle, and bike racing. Pick the quote of your favorite cross country sport and enjoy.

31. “The trail is for biking, walking, cross country skiing, and horseback riding.” — Rex Riffle

32. “The most exciting sport in France, however, is cross country bicycle racing.” — James A. FitzPatrick

33. “She wants to ride, a horse cross country. She wants to feel, wind brush against her skin.” — Anita Cochran

34. “As cross-country skiers, we tend to be a bit fanatical, because it’s our own energy that makes you go.” — Dean Glaze

35. “I think you should take the bike on a cross-country trip. It’s something you’ve always wanted to do.” — Andrew W. Marlowe

36. “Cross-country is my first great love in running. Like anyone’s first love, I remember it with great sentimentality.” — Hal Higdon

37. “In the winter, I enjoy cross-country skiing and raising orchids and amaryllises. If I could grow tropical flowers as perennials, I would, especially hibiscus and Mandevilla.” — Diane Ackerman

38. “If it’s cross-country ski season, I’ll be out doing that, or snowshoeing up in Quebec. In my California home, I go to the local Y and I like doing yoga. It’s been hugely beneficial to me in injury avoidance.” — Neil Peart

39. “In cross-country skiing, athletes propel themselves over distances of ten and twenty miles – a physical challenge that places intense demands on the ability of their red blood cells to deliver oxygen to their muscles.” — Malcolm Gladwell

40. “Enter with the torch in the stadium. 80,000 people screaming. I was waiting downstairs for the start for 10 hours; I was so tired with the torch. I give the torch to the combined ski cross country that they win gold in Lillehammer in 1994.” — Alberto Tomba

Some more cross country quotes

Here we present more cross country quotes to let you add more cross country quotes to your quote bank.

41. “Been cross country a time or two and look at it now, it’s just like new.” — Wynonna Judd

42. “In a world of give and take, give what it takes. There is no bench in cross-country.” — Hal Higdon

43. “Harvard was the first college to introduce cross-country as a training event for track and field in 1880.” — Skye Arthur-Banning

44. “I’m wasted on cross-country! We Dwarves are natural sprinters, very dangerous over short distances.” — J. R. R. Tolkien

45. “Cross country taught me my own temporary weakness; excuses are temporary if you choose to let go of them.” — Nick Steele

46. “Cross-country I can handle. But downhill it was total terror all the way. I have a feeling I’m gonna regret this tomorrow.” — Peter S. Fischer

47. “Not just running! Something that needs endurance! Something that needs stamina! Like, long-distance running! Cross-country running!” — Jim Jacobs

48. “It’s more like a cross-country run. It’s a perfectly normal course of action for a man to alter his future plans, as he gets older and wiser.” — Romeo Marrishaw

49. “I’m traveling cross-country taking Polaroid pictures of people walking other people’s dogs. It’s pretty hard to tell, but I didn’t become an artist because it was easy.” — Seth MacFarlane

50. “Cross country runners sacrifice activities to study and run. In the process, hidden sources of strength, creativity, and confidence are discovered which are applied to everything else in their lives.” — Jeff Galloway