what is cross country in high school

Cross country is a team sport of long-distance running that takes place on an open terrain consisting of woods, fields, and hills. The races are usually 5Ks, but the National Federation of High School Associations has set a minimum distance of 2.5 KM (a little less than 1.5 miles) and a maximum of 5K (3.1 miles). Cross country is scored by assigning a point value for the place a runner finishes in. In cross country, the lowest score wins. The boys race is separate from the girls race, and varsity races are separate from JV races. Varsity events are run with a maximum of 7 athletes per team, and the places of the first 5 athletes on each team are added together to determine the team score. The 6th and 7th runners contribute by finishing ahead of other teams top 5 runners and increasing their scores. Cross country is different from most sports because the lowest score wins.