Athletics (British Sports Library)

ll8 ATHLETICS down the pace a bit going uphill, come downhill fairly fast, with sufficient hold-back to prevent yourself from over-reaching. Run over obstacles where you can, hurdle where you can't, but do not hesitate to employ a hand– vault where you are not absolutely certain of your ability to effect a clearance in any other manner. Obstacle clearance needs a deal of practice, apart from running, to ensure good form throughout a race. Cross-country runners should study the section of Chapter III which deals with low hurd– ling. Practise hurdle exercises as detailed for the low hurdlers, and get the hip-sockets loose. Do not bother about attempting to run up on the toes, but try to land on the rear part of the sole of the foot, with a gradual letting down of the heels as an integral part of the action. Always try to finish the home stretch in proper running form. Know the course by heart before you tackle the race ; use spikes, if possible, and always have two pairs of shoes with you, both waterproofed, one pair with long spikes for soft going and the other with short spikes for hard going. Do not forget that our great opponents, the American and Scandinavian athletes, acknowledge freely that cross-country running is the fundamental basis upon which nearly all English long-distance runners of the first grade have been built up.