Cross-country running, often known as “hare and hound” or “the paper chase,” is a 19th-century sport that originated in England. The sport is a team or individual one that involves running across grass, wooded uphill and downhill terrains, and on occasion, gravel roads. It is a year-round sport that is open to men and women of all ages – many cross runners start running in high school and continue to do so to stay in shape for the rest of their life. The Pathways annual cross country was held near the Baliwas village – DP1 and DP2 had their race hosted on March 8, 2022, in which they were to run five whole kilometres.

It is indeed a rigorous sport, but the environment is typically more relaxed and a freestyle one, with a focus on speed and developing pure competition before the youngsters enter the whirling track world of strategy, splits, timings, and laps. Captain Bajaj flagged the race and the runners took off, some sprinting to get a head start, the rest starting slower so they could run the last few kilometres with full energy. The cross-country run assisted us in escaping the sedentary lifestyle that the lockdown had induced and inculcated physical exercise, which is a necessity currently.

I greatly enjoyed running, even though I am accustomed to it as I run six kilometers every alternate day.  However, witnessing all your friends race alongside you only instils the “never give up” mindset further, and the adrenaline rush as you approach the finish line is exhilarating. When I finished the last lap with a full sprint, my heart raced faster and my muscles ached more, but it overall felt immensely gratifying when I crossed the finish line.

Written by Raghav Marwah, DP1