FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How far do I have to run?
The longest race distance for the middle school level is two miles. Some meets are only one mile races. Athletes who attend daily practices and stay physically active over the summer will be well-prepared to compete.
What equipment is needed?
Cross country runners need a good pair of running shoes, running attire and a water bottle. It is also recommended to have a wristwatch with a start/stop timer feature. A GPS or smart watch is not necessary. Sun protection like a hat or sunscreen is also recommended.
What is the time commitment?
Mustangs will practice everyday that school is in session until 4:30 PM. Athletes should tentatively be prepared to practice before school on early release days. Once competition begins meets are either after school or on Saturdays.
What time will my athlete race?Cross country meets often run on a rolling schedule. This means that the first race of the day is set for a scheduled start time and all other races will take place afterwards. This makes it difficult to predict the exact race time for your athlete’s specific grade level/gender. Specific meet information will be posted to mustangsrun.weebly.com the week of the meet.
How will I know how my athlete performed in the meet?Each meet has a different method for communicating results. Some hire timing companies that are able to post results online immediately, while other meets are hand timed. Most meets will hand out medals at the finish line for middle school races. The coaches should receive compiled race results no later than the next day. These will be shared at practice and posted to mustangsrun.weebly.com.
How can I help my athlete prepare for a meet?The school issued jersey, shorts and running shoes are required for all meets. Athletes may wear a solid colored t-shirt and/or compression shorts under their uniform if preferred. It is important to bring a water bottle too. A small snack like a granola bar and/or apple are nice to have as well. Some meets are in grassy areas and so wearing taller socks can be helpful to keep any bugs away. Ensuring athletes are eating a balanced diet, drinking water, and getting a good night's rest go a long way in preparing for a race.
What does a meet look like? When you arrive at a cross country meet it is important to get acquainted with the starting line, finish area and team tents. The starting line is divided into boxes with each school assigned a box to start in. The finish area is generally marked off with flags and will have some type of timing system set up close by. Each team will have a tent set up as their meeting point. It is normal for portable restrooms to be available for spectators and athletes.
The running course can be marked with cones, flags, a mowed down lane, or painted on the grass. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times as it can be easy to step onto the course and not realize it. Each race starts with a starting gun and finishes when the last runner crosses through the finish line.
Before the race, your athlete should be cheering on teammates in other races and warming up for their own race. Yes, your runner will be expected to do a light jog and our drills before their actual race. Depending on our arrival time, we will also take our athletes on a walking tour of the course.
Please cheer on your runner and all Mustangs during the race. Many spectators like to travel to different points on the course to try to cheer for their athlete as they run by. It can be helpful to wear tennis shoes to easily move around the meet. Cross Country rules forbid running alongside an athlete to pace or encourage him or her.
A course map will be published on mustangsrun.weebly.com when provided by the host school.
My athlete has finished their race, can I take them home?Please wait for your athlete to exit the finish chute after their race. Some athletes will be very fatigued (breathlessness, general weakness, rubbery legs, glassy eyes, salivating, and sometimes nausea). Drinking plenty of water is the best way to cool down and alleviate these symptoms. Some runners may be disappointed with their race and need some emotional space.
After a race, runners should grab a drink of water, cool down and stretch. We encourage athletes to cheer on their teammates in other races if time allows.
Please sign your athlete out with a coach before you leave the meet. It is important that we have all athletes accounted for.
How can I support our Mustangs at a meet?We would love it if you would take pictures of our Mustang runners for our end of season video. Any pictures can be sent to [email protected]
Runners love cold Popsicles like fla-vor-ice at the end of a meet. If you’re able to bring a cooler with frozen Popsicles to a meet please let the coaches know.
We are still accepting donations of Gatorade and granola bars to take with us to each meet.
How far do I have to run?
The longest race distance for the middle school level is two miles. Some meets are only one mile races. Athletes who attend daily practices and stay physically active over the summer will be well-prepared to compete.
What equipment is needed?
Cross country runners need a good pair of running shoes, running attire and a water bottle. It is also recommended to have a wristwatch with a start/stop timer feature. A GPS or smart watch is not necessary. Sun protection like a hat or sunscreen is also recommended.
What is the time commitment?
Mustangs will practice everyday that school is in session until 4:30 PM. Athletes should tentatively be prepared to practice before school on early release days. Once competition begins meets are either after school or on Saturdays.
What time will my athlete race?Cross country meets often run on a rolling schedule. This means that the first race of the day is set for a scheduled start time and all other races will take place afterwards. This makes it difficult to predict the exact race time for your athlete’s specific grade level/gender. Specific meet information will be posted to mustangsrun.weebly.com the week of the meet.
How will I know how my athlete performed in the meet?Each meet has a different method for communicating results. Some hire timing companies that are able to post results online immediately, while other meets are hand timed. Most meets will hand out medals at the finish line for middle school races. The coaches should receive compiled race results no later than the next day. These will be shared at practice and posted to mustangsrun.weebly.com.
How can I help my athlete prepare for a meet?The school issued jersey, shorts and running shoes are required for all meets. Athletes may wear a solid colored t-shirt and/or compression shorts under their uniform if preferred. It is important to bring a water bottle too. A small snack like a granola bar and/or apple are nice to have as well. Some meets are in grassy areas and so wearing taller socks can be helpful to keep any bugs away. Ensuring athletes are eating a balanced diet, drinking water, and getting a good night's rest go a long way in preparing for a race.
What does a meet look like? When you arrive at a cross country meet it is important to get acquainted with the starting line, finish area and team tents. The starting line is divided into boxes with each school assigned a box to start in. The finish area is generally marked off with flags and will have some type of timing system set up close by. Each team will have a tent set up as their meeting point. It is normal for portable restrooms to be available for spectators and athletes.
The running course can be marked with cones, flags, a mowed down lane, or painted on the grass. Please be aware of your surroundings at all times as it can be easy to step onto the course and not realize it. Each race starts with a starting gun and finishes when the last runner crosses through the finish line.
Before the race, your athlete should be cheering on teammates in other races and warming up for their own race. Yes, your runner will be expected to do a light jog and our drills before their actual race. Depending on our arrival time, we will also take our athletes on a walking tour of the course.
Please cheer on your runner and all Mustangs during the race. Many spectators like to travel to different points on the course to try to cheer for their athlete as they run by. It can be helpful to wear tennis shoes to easily move around the meet. Cross Country rules forbid running alongside an athlete to pace or encourage him or her.
A course map will be published on mustangsrun.weebly.com when provided by the host school.
My athlete has finished their race, can I take them home?Please wait for your athlete to exit the finish chute after their race. Some athletes will be very fatigued (breathlessness, general weakness, rubbery legs, glassy eyes, salivating, and sometimes nausea). Drinking plenty of water is the best way to cool down and alleviate these symptoms. Some runners may be disappointed with their race and need some emotional space.
After a race, runners should grab a drink of water, cool down and stretch. We encourage athletes to cheer on their teammates in other races if time allows.
Please sign your athlete out with a coach before you leave the meet. It is important that we have all athletes accounted for.
How can I support our Mustangs at a meet?We would love it if you would take pictures of our Mustang runners for our end of season video. Any pictures can be sent to [email protected]
Runners love cold Popsicles like fla-vor-ice at the end of a meet. If you’re able to bring a cooler with frozen Popsicles to a meet please let the coaches know.
We are still accepting donations of Gatorade and granola bars to take with us to each meet.