In cross country, a team's score is the sum of its top five runners' finishing places, and the lowest score wins. High school varsity races are 5,000 meters in most states, and NCAA Division I championships are 10K for men and 6K for women.
The part new runners and parents usually miss is the sixth and seventh runners. They don't add to their team's score, but they can push opponents back a place, which is why they're called displacers.
Cross country in 30 seconds
A perfect score is 15: your team takes places 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In high school varsity races, a team runs five to seven, and at least five have to finish to score. In the NCAA, only the first seven count. Ties are broken differently at each level, which we cover below.
High school varsity runs 5,000 meters, about 3.1 miles, in most states. College championships are 8K to 10K for men and 6K for women. It's a fall sport: state meets are set by each state, and the NCAA championships come in late November.
How does cross country scoring work?
Cross country is scored by place, not by time. This is the process a results team follows:
- List every finisher in order.
- Remove runners who can't affect team scoring: individuals without a full team, and every runner after a team's seventh.
- Re-number the remaining places. These are the team scoring places.
- Add each team's first five places. That's the team score.
- Lowest score wins.
A team needs at least five finishers to get a team score. If a team finishes fewer than five, its runners are removed and the other places move up.
A worked example
Two teams, A and B, each run seven. This is the order of finish.
Team A scores 1 + 2 + 6 + 7 + 9 = 25. Team B scores 3 + 4 + 5 + 8 + 12 = 32. A wins, 25 to 32.
Now look at A's sixth and seventh runners. They don't count for A, but they finished ahead of B's fifth runner and pushed B5 from 10th to 12th. That's displacement, and it's why every runner on the team matters.
What happens when two teams tie?
It depends on the level, and the two rules are easy to mix up.
In high school (NFHS), you compare the sixth runners. The team whose sixth runner placed higher wins. If only one team has a sixth runner, that team wins.
In college (NCAA), the sixth runner tiebreaker doesn't apply. You compare the five scoring runners in order, first against first, second against second, and so on. The team that wins more of the five comparisons wins.
How long is a cross country race?
States set their own rules, so read yours. Iowa requires varsity runners to race 5,000 meters in every meet and lets sub-varsity runners race 4,000 meters early in the season. Ohio sets 5,000 meters as the maximum for high school and 3,200 meters for seventh and eighth graders. Weather can shorten a race too: Iowa, for example, allows a course to be shortened to a minimum of two miles in bad weather.
In college, regular season distances vary. NCAA Division I regional courses have to be able to host 6K, 8K and 10K races.
And don't compare times across courses. Hills, turns, mud and grass change everything, which is exactly why places, not times, decide the team result.
When is the cross country season?
Cross country is a fall sport. Iowa's 2026 calendar is a good example: practice from August 10, first meets from August 24, state qualifying meets October 21 to 22 and the state meet October 30 to 31. At the college level, the NCAA Division I, II and III national championships were all held on November 22, 2025, after regional meets earlier in November.
State dates vary, so check your state association's calendar. After the high school season ends, a lot of runners move into indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring.
Spikes or flats for cross country?
Both are legal. The course decides.
Spikes give you high grip, and they're the call on grass, mud, soft dirt and steep hills. Racing flats or trainers give you moderate grip and make more sense on courses with pavement, gravel paths or hard-packed ground, with no spikes to check. The rule limits: in high school, spikes can be no longer than 1 inch. In the NCAA, no longer than 25 mm.
Not sure which? Walk the course before the race or ask your coach. Carry spare pins in two lengths and a spike wrench either way.
What should parents know about cross country meets?
- Watch from more than one spot. If the course allows it, see the runners early, in the middle and near the finish. Stay off the racing line and out of the finish chute.
- Every place counts. A runner in 40th place can still decide a team result by displacing an opponent's fifth runner.
- Results come by team and by individual. Check both. A runner can have a great race even if the team doesn't win.
- Bring layers and a change of shoes. Fall weather swings, and courses get muddy.
- Pack for waiting. Meets often run separate races by level and gender, so check the schedule for your runner's start time.
What to wear for cross country
For racing and workouts, our running split shorts come in a 2.5 inch inseam (RD Split Shorts) and a 4 inch inseam (LD Split Shorts), and any 2 shorts get the 3rd free. For cold late season meets and warm-ups, our running half tights have an inseam of about 9 inches, two inner gel pockets and an outside back zip pocket that fits a phone.
Our track and field posters are made for runners who live for race season, and you can buy 2 and get 1 free. Shopping for a runner? See our gifts for cross country runners. If your runner also races on the track, read why many call the 800m the hardest event in track and field.
Cross country FAQ
How is cross country scored?
Add the finishing places of each team's first five runners. The lowest total wins. A perfect score is 15.
What does the sixth runner do in cross country?
The sixth and seventh runners don't score for their own team, but they take places ahead of opponents, which raises the other teams' scores. In high school, the sixth runner also breaks ties.
How many runners are on a cross country team?
A high school varsity team runs five to seven, and at least five must finish to score. In the NCAA, a team can have five to 12 runners, but only the first seven count in team scoring.
How long is a high school cross country race?
5,000 meters, about 3.1 miles, for varsity in most states. Younger or sub-varsity runners sometimes race shorter courses.
How long is a college cross country race?
At the NCAA championships, men race 10K in Divisions I and II and 8K in Division III. Women race 6K in all three divisions.
How are ties broken in cross country?
In high school, the team with the better sixth runner wins. In the NCAA, the five scorers are compared place by place, and the team that wins more comparisons wins.
Can you wear spikes in cross country?
Yes. High school rules allow spikes up to 1 inch, and NCAA rules allow up to 25 mm. Pick based on the course surface.
