Oh, wow. I do know that the first national event was in 1876 in England.
Wow, that would be really unfortunate. It must have been a grueling race. There's an English championship that was the first national competition, started in 1876!
My new obsession is cross country running. I love running out in nature and dirt trails. Interesting. The courses can pass through several areas like woodlands, hills, or even gravel roads. Are you training for an event? Yes, I am! I'm training to compete, which most competitions take place in fall and winter, but worried about running when it rains or snows. That will be even more of a challenge. Oh, that's interesting. Yes, the competitions can be in many different kinds of weather. How long are the courses? A course can be from 2 1/2 to 7 1/2 miles long. My farthest has been 3 miles so far. Formal competitions go back to a 19th century English game called ''hare and hound'' or ''the paper chase'' Is that why the runners are sometimes called ''harriers''? That's an interesting fact, I didn't know that. It used to be an Olympic sport. During a 1924 race in a Paris heat wave, 8 runners were taken away on a stretcher. I hope that's not me.
The English championship became the first national competition in 1876 and the International Cross Country Championships was held for the first time in 1903.