Many high school students choose to participate in multiple interscholastic sports. With so many options available, some sports go hand in hand for the athletes to compete during different seasons. With Langston Ford’s transition from sprints to mid-distance in Track & Field, he chose to run Cross Country this past fall to help him build better endurance.

Ford now competes in the 400m and 800m in Track, which requires more stamina than his previous events. Running cross country is a big help to this, as it is a long run that requires a high level of endurance. Cross Country runs are 5K meters, which is equivalent to about 3.1 miles.

“I joined cross country because I had friends who ran and they said it really helps for track,” Ford said

Ford said that the season was a new challenge which was difficult to adjust to at first. As the season went on, he became more comfortable with the regime and found himself improving steadily.

“It was definitely hard to start. It was a lot of running I wasn’t used to… staying consistent helped me get better throughout the season,” Ford said.

Ford’s journey through Cross Country is now being applied to the Track season, where he now competes as a mid-distance runner. The newfound running ability he picked up from the fall is helping him take a jump forward for the spring season.

“It’s really helped me. My times are definitely going down this year just from all the running in the fall,” Ford said.

Ford gained a lot of experience and training from joining the Cross Country team as a junior, and now is getting ready to use it to excel on the track. His already impressive skill in the spring season is now ready to be taken further than before.