CROSS COUNTRY EQUIPMENT

THE BASICS

Running is one of the simplest sports and requires little or no specialist equipment.

Most competitive runners will wear a vest, some shorts and a pair of shoes. Despite this an athlete will occasionally compete with great success running barefoot. In the fairly recent past, athletes such as Abebe Bekele (dual Olympic Marathon Champion) and Zola Budd (multiple records at middle and long distance) have been successful while running with no shoes.

Although running wear is relatively basic there have been some major changes over the years.

Early running wear was manufactured from natural fibres such as cotton, wool or silk. The garments were similar to, if not the same as, everyday clothing. Styles were basic and variation in colour was limited. Although vests were worn for track running, cross country runners often wore polo-style shirts. In competitions runners would have wore garments in their clubs' colours but for the solo competitor a plain white vest or polo short was often the only choice.

Modern clothing tends to be made from synthetic fibres which are lighter and stronger and provide better ventilation to allow the evaporation of perspiration. The style is also matched to the use of the garment. For example, shorts are designed to allow free movement of the legs and vests have large arm holes to allow free movement and provide more ventilation. Garments are also more colourful, perhaps because of changing tastes in fashion. Many runners (especially in road races) now participate on their own rather than with a club and can choose their own clothing.

Despite this, many clubs still run in the same colours that they adopted in the Victorian era. This is a big part of the tradition of athletics and cross country.

Although the clothing has adapted it is still possible to get out and run with ordinary clothing, with one exceptions. The biggest advances over the years have been made in footwear.

THE 1920S

Cross country runners discovered early on that having the right shoes provided an advantage.

In the early years of organised competitive running, shoes were very basic. They were made from leather and offered only minimal improvements in grip and support over conventional shoes.

Runners soon realised that adding studs (like on football boots) or spikes would provide better grip, especially when running over soft grass. Specialist companies began to make these shoes. Many of these companies were located in Northamptonshire, then as now one of the major footwear producing areas.

The shoes were hand made from leather, just like ordinary shoes. The uppers (top part of the shoe) was leather and the sole was leather (for spikes) or rubber (for studs). They were heavy compared with modern shoes and became even heavier in the wet. But they were an improvement over ordinary shoes.

In the early designs the studs or spike could not be removed (unlike today). The trend from the earliest days of specialist running shoes was towards lighter designs using the minimum of materials. Top runners would have their shoes made specially although the vast majority of athletes (as today) would buy their equipment from a specialist shop or mail order company if they could afford to.

Runners that could not afford the specialist running shoes or spike would probably have worn plimsolls, the real predecessor or the modern running shoe. These were originally made for wearing on board boats and ships. They had a canvas upper and a rubber sole which made them light and flexible, both useful when running. They were also mass produced which made them cheap.

Footwear progressed as new design ideas and materials were incorporated in to the running shoes. Since the 1960s the availability of synthetic materials and new design and manufacturing techniques have led to many advances.

TODAY

Modern running shoes are a very sophisticated items. There is probably a different type of shoe for each race and field event.

They are manufactured from synthetic components that are lightweight and durable to provide comfort and support for the foot while also giving the best possible grip to the runner.

There are two basic types of shoe used in cross country. Some runners prefer to wear spiked shoes because these give the best possible grip on grassy and muddy courses.

Others prefer a spike-less shoe which has a prominent tread (like an off-road vehicle tyre) to provide the optimum grip. These shoes are popular for situations where the course is partly on harder surfaces where spikes would not function properly because they could not penetrate the surface.

Choosing the right running shoe can be very tricky. There are lots of different designs and styles and it always makes sense for aspiring runners to obtain advice from specialist sports shoe shops.

We should like to thank Northampton Museum for granting permission to photograph and use images of old running shoes from their collection.

Cross Country Home