Fun running games for cross country

In this post we share a mental toughness finishing drill and three games that can be used to change things up in your cross country practices. He also shares a drill that he utilizes to help develop the toughness that a cross country runner needs at the end of a race. The drill helps them to feel what it is like in the closing moments of a big race when one spot can make a huge difference in whether you teams wins or loses.

He begins the Kill Drill either of meter from the finish line. Lining his runners up slowest to fastest, he sends them off with a staggered start. You must do the appropriate math for each runner so that you know how much of a head start to give the runner lined up in front. The goal would be to stagger the runners so that they were all finishing at about the same time.

Coach Mastin also describes three different running games that he as used to help change things up at practice. He points out that when he makes their season plan, he plans no more than two hard practices per week.

Cage the Lion — Mark two lines meters apart. Place runners on one line. Select one runner and place them in the middle between the lines. On the coaches call, the line of runners take off running towards the opposite line. The runner in the middle tries to touch as many people as possible.

The whole line will now turn around and run back to the original line. Now there are more people in the middle trying to touch. Value: The kids get in a longer run, with the added bonus of working together as a team to put the puzzle together. The first time the game is played, the coach can time the team, and then repeat the game later in the season with the goal of trying to beat the original time. Runners run a set distance off the track in a looped course could be meters, a soccer field, the loop of a parking lot, etc.

The number of loops will equal the number of runners in the game, so make your loop small enough that your runners don't end up running too far. Once the first loop is complete, the last runner to cross the finish line is out of the game. They continue running, but go around the loop in the opposite direction while the team continues without stopping into the second loop. Once again, the last runner to cross the finish line is out and turns around to continue in the opposite direction.

The game continues until there is one runner left. Value: This is a great race simulator workout. Runners who are not as quick can stay in the game longer by starting out at a quicker pace than those who have a good finishing kick. Likewise, the kickers can hang out in the back of the pack and bide their time, hoping the front-runners will eventually come back to them.

This game requires a little work from the coach, but pays dividends by creating an excellent teaching opportunity. The coach writes multiple choice questions on index cards, and places them at various locations around the practice area. The number of questions and distance can vary based on runners' ages and ability. The team runs to locate the first index card, reads the question, reaches a consensus on the correct answer and then runs back to the coach and announces the answer.

If correct, the team runs to find the next card. If the team is incorrect, they must perform a set of pushups, drills or additional exercise of the coach's choosing. Value: This is a great way to teach kids about running or introduce a topic without having to lecture.

The coach can focus the questions whatever she wishes to teach. For example: What should you eat the night before a race? A Your favorite treats B A brand new type of food you've never eaten before C A familiar healthy meal high in carbohydrates.

This workout is perfect for the times when runners complain, "Ugh, are we are running that same route again today? The remaining cards are then divided and placed at several locations along the route.

As the runners pass, they will randomly draw one card from each location. At the end of the run, each runner adds up the total value of their cards. They can run an extra set distance for example, once around the football field in order to have the opportunity to exchange one of their cards and draw a replacement from another deck stacked with mostly higher value cards.

The runners can run up to two laps in order to exchange up to two cards. The runner with the highest total for their "hand" wins the game.

In case of a tie, runners can draw a "sudden death" card--highest card wins. Value: This is a great way to add some interest to a long run, while still accomplishing the goal of running a certain distance.

Perfect for a speed day, this game utilizes a football or soccer field to help runners push the pace. After the runners warm up around the field, the coach can lead them in some stretches to prepare for a hard speed day.

The team then begins by jogging three consecutive sides of the field and sprinting the fourth side. Then they jog two consecutive sides and sprint two sides, jog one side and sprint three sides, then finally sprint all four sides.

Depending on the age and ability levels of the kids, as well as the desired amount of speed work, you can repeat this exercise as needed. Value: This is a great way to add in some speed work while staying mentally engaged, as the runners must remember how many sides they must jog or sprint on each lap. Switching gears from sprint to jog helps them tap into their various running "gears," and develops the fast-twitch muscles.

Kids love just about anything that involves water balloons. This relay involves dividing the kids into teams and using a big, sloshy water balloon as the baton. If the balloon is dropped and pops, the runner can replace it by running to a central bucket filled with backup balloons, and then re-entering the race at the same spot they dropped the balloon. The winning team gets a water balloon for each runner and 30 seconds to try to soak the losing team.