As the season of Cross-Country goes on, athletes not only face the triumphs of competition but also the threat of injury. As the season enters its end and winter track starts up, proper equipment that is suited to an athletes needs and desires is crucial for maintaining peak performance and ensuring that athletes are able to compete to the best of their ability.

“The best thing to do is really just find what works for you and stick with it,” says junior Spring-Ford distance athlete Sean Krasnick.

As athletes get faster and train more and more, they are at a higher risk for injuries not just in cross country and track, but in other sports as well. Athletes and coaches alike both emphasize the importance of proper footwear, clothing, and noticing injuries early on can reduce the likelihood of common running injuries such as shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, and hip injuries, which are all very common among athletes.

Co-founder of Nike and world famous track coach Bill Bowerman once stated, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” This philosophy led him to innovate running shoes that aimed to enhance athletic performance and mitigate injury, and create equipment that was suitable for people who trained casually, to professional athletes.

While Nike continuously aims to create shoes for all kinds of athletes, so do leading brands such as New Balance, Brooks, On, Mizuno, and Saucony.

“I like Mizuno and Brooks shoes for training,” added Krasnick. “Both offer sufficient space in the upper area of the shoe and are wide enough for my feet.”

Krasnick, along with many other runners, will agree that with the wide variety of options that are available throughout the industry, the best way to prevent injury and to run efficiently is to find a shoe that you prefer and use what feels good to you.

However, finding a proper shoe hasn’t always been convenient. Veteran high school distance runner Thomas Young, who ran 10:23 in the 3200 meter run during his senior year of track and came in tenth at states for cross country in the fall of 1965, didn’t share the accessibility of modern running shoes. Athletes often ran in sneakers like Converse Chuck Taylor’s, which did not contain much cushion or support, and they raced in clunky leather track spikes. It wasn’t until Nike started to gain popularity that Bowerman started to create lighter and more comfortable running shoes, hypothesizing that if he removes an ounce from the shoe, a runner is saved from having to lift around 200 pounds in a mile race.

But even with the support of modern running shoes, injury is still a threat. Many runners participate in weight lifting around 1-3 times a week to keep muscles strong and maintain good running form and economy, which is vital in preventing injury. Athletes will also take days off, usually during the weekend by taking it easy or doing some sort of cross training such as biking or swimming. Additionally, even when not injured, athletes will take measures to make sure that injury doesn’t happen. “I ice, roll, and stretch every day after practice,” said sophomore Spring-Ford athlete Rilee Feldmann.

So, through the experiences of professional and high school athletes, it is evident that the best way to mitigate injury is to simply find footwear that suits your needs and desires and to take measures like icing and weight lifting to prevent injury in the high impact sports of cross-country and track and field.