Normally, in sports, if a team gets in trouble the punishment is for them to run laps or suicides. But there is a whole sport dedicated to running that people choose to participate in 

Most people would think that students only run cross country to get better stamina, get stronger in general or spend time with their friends, but those aren’t the only reasons people might choose such a challenging sport.

“It all started as a joke in sixth grade, and then I fell in love with it,” sophomore Nick Scruggs said. “Then I came to Chapman and had more opportunities in cross country, plus I could get a scholarship, and I stay in shape.” 

Running cross country is not only physically challenging but also mentally challenging. No matter how in shape an athlete is, the sport will typically always be a mental battle over a physical battle. 

One of the main benefits of running cross country is that it can help people mentally.

“I’ve run since I was younger, and I’ve grown an attachment to running and it makes me feel better,” senior JC Yarbrough said. “I get a rewarding feeling. The other day I felt awful all day. I had the worst school day, but it’s like when you just run and you’ve had a bad day, after you finish it’s very rewarding to be like I did that.”