Running may not be everyone’s cup of tea but for some dedicated athletes, it’s a way of living. Having trained hard all summer, the cross country team starts off the new season strong.

During practices, runners have to run between four and ten miles on different terrains, training almost everyday of the week in the early morning.

“We start summer training really early, it was like two weeks after school ended, and that’s so we can get some build up to where we’re doing workouts that are similar to races,” said Ian Espenship, junior.

Staying competitive and trying to win is ever important to advance this season and succeed at meets. This year many new students have joined the team, ranging from veteran runners to fresh newcomers.

“In sixth grade I tried it and really liked it, plus my parents run and so does my sister,” said Madison Davis, freshman.

Cross country is like a family, and it some cases it really is, but the bonds they create as a team help them support each other at meets. The first meet of the season was on Friday, Sep 7, at the Crooked Tree Golf Course in Tucson.

The team did well for their first meet of the year as many of the athletes received medals. Their next meet will be on Saturday, Sep 15. Varsity will be in Corona, California and all other racers in Chandler.