About Cross Country at Luther

With deliberate training to develop the components of stamina and speed, and heaps of team support, we prepare to run as well as we can at our championships.

We look for runners who have a deep-rooted belief that they can become much better and are eager to put in the miles to achieve that. Above all, though, we look for runners who strive to contribute to a team that functions cooperatively to a common benefit.

We are very fortunate that our men’s and women’s teams have had some recent All Americans, team championships, and chances to run at the national championships, but those successes are a by-product of a team that enjoys working together. That is camaraderie; that is what turns our wheels.

Three Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do most cross country runners at Luther run track (or vice-versa)?  

Yes, almost all of the XC folks run distance-track, and almost all of the the distance-track folks run cross country.  Most find that they enjoy the camaraderie of this group year-round. The most common exception to participating in both sports is when individuals study abroad for a fall or spring semester.

2. How fast are most of your recruits?  

Most of our male recruits will run in the 16's for 5K on honest courses in cross country, or in the 4:30's for the 1600 as a junior in track. While those times are typical for our prospects, we have coached national qualifiers that did not reach close to either of these marks in high school, and have others who were among the state's very-best as high school runners.  

Typically our recruits will meet or exceed at least one of the following marks:

• 800 — 2:05 boys, 2:30 girls
• 1600 — 4:45 boys, 5:40 girls (or 5:15 for 1500m)
• 3200 — 10:30 boys, 12:20 (or 11:30 for 3000m)
• 5k — mid 17's boys
• 4k — low 16's girls
• or haven't met these marks but are the best runner on your team!

 3. How do I indicate I am interested in joining the program? 

• Men: Send me an email or complete the online form.