What to Bring to a Cross Country Meet

Is your first cross country meet coming up and you are wondering if you’re prepared, or maybe you feel like you’re forgetting something? Maybe you HAVE forgotten something or ran into a problem during a meet and are wondering how to avoid that problem. What ever your reasoning is, this article is for YOU! This article will go into great detail on what to bring to a cross country meet.

Trash Bag

It may seem stupid to bring a trash bag to a meet, I always thought so, until it started pouring rain and my warm clothes for after the race got soaked. Everyone around me got out their trash bags and put their gym bags and clothes in the trash bag to stay dry for later, while I was stuck with cold and wet clothes. It is also nice to bring a grocery sack to put your trash in.

Extra Clothes

Extra clothes is a big one, with emphasis on socks and shoes. Lets say the course is very muddy or you sweat to the point that your socks get soaked. It is ideal to have a pair of dry socks to wear for the race and a pair after. I always brought a pair of gym shorts and sweatpants to every meet, along with a t-shirt and sweatshirt. A coat was only brought on the colder days, but it is important to stay warm before and after a race. Hats and gloves are important, too, especially if it is colder outside.

Shoes

If you run in spikes, make sure to bring your spikes and extra spikes. Appropriate length spikes are important because if the spikes themselves don’t meet the length requirement, then you won’t be allowed to wear your spikes. Trainers should be brought for warm up and cool down before and after the race. Once the running portion of the meet is over, I would have slides that I would wear to allow my feet to breathe and cool off.

Muscle Rub

It is important to bring muscle rub for all of your aches and pains. I would put a muscle rub on right before I would go to the starting line. This would have the muscle rub build up and be at its full affect right when the race would start. I believe the cooling sensation helps to take my mind off of my sore muscles when I run, which in turn makes me run better.

Snacks

Cross country meets are very long, so it is important to have snacks for before and after the race. Lighter foods and fruits worked best for me. I would always eat granola bars before a race and drink a water bottle, but not too soon before a race. Grapes and watermelon were the fruits I would bring. I would stop eating about an hour before warm ups and I would take sips until we got lined up to start the race. On a hot morning before the race, a sip of water goes a long ways. After a meet I would normally eat a dry turkey sandwich on white bread and nothing on it. Just turkey and bread.

Rollers

Foam rollers and hand rollers are an essential to have at a cross country meet. These help get all of the knots out before a race. It is extremely important to loosen up before a race to prevent discomfort while running and injuries.

Drinks

HYDRATE. I cannot express this enough. It is very important to bring lots of water and sports drinks. I personally would bring four water bottles in a cooler with ice and one or two Powerade Zeros. I’m not a fan of the regular Powerades. Drink at least one water before you race and then save the rest for after and be sure to drink them.

Uniform

This one is a given, but make sure to pack your uniform. You won’t be allowed to run without it.

Band-Aids

Band-Aids are a must have for a cross country meet. You never know when you might fall, get spiked, or get a blister during a race and having bandages would be very helpful.

If you pack everything on this list, you will be prepared for every scenario that I’ve encountered and will be ready to conquer your next cross country meet!