I never ran cross country in school. Honestly, I didn’t even run track. For a long stretch of my formative years, my primary exposure to running came as punishment—extra laps after a baseball mistake, or conditioning drills meant to “build character.”
Looking back now, after years of trail racing and a handful of local cross country-style 5Ks, I’m fairly confident I would really have appreciated it. Cross country, with its unpredictability and terrain-first mindset, would have been much more my speed.
One of the things that makes cross country so compelling is how wildly different it can look depending on where you race. Some courses, like one I did with a bunch of high schoolers in Kauai, wind through genuinely beautiful landscapes. Others, like the Ultimook, lean fully into chaos—mud, water crossings, and total surrender to the elements. And then there are events that feel almost surreal, like this snowy National Junior College cross country race that’s been making the rounds online.
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Tracksmith seems to agree that this often-overlooked corner of the sport deserves more attention. Their new Cross Country Collection is less about performance reinvention and more about recognition—celebrating the grit, history, and visual identity of XC racing.
None of these silhouettes are brand new to the Tracksmith lineup, but the design language absolutely is. Each piece features a bold, stylized “X”—a clear nod to cross country—signaling that these are meant for the messier, tougher side of running.
Twilight Tank – Cross Country
This is the most visually striking piece of the collection. A clean white base with a bold black “X” dominating the front, it feels equally at home at a summer XC race or layered over a long sleeve on cooler days. It’s simple, graphic, and confident—very much a statement without feeling loud.
Twilight Long Sleeve – Cross Country
Silky-soft, featherlight, and finished in an ivory tone, this long sleeve leans more subtle. The design is smaller and more illustrative, featuring Tracksmith’s iconic hare being chased—much like a cross country race itself—with an added hound lurking behind, waiting for its chance to pounce.
Trackhouse Sweatshirt – Cross Country
This one feels tailor-made for post-race warmth. Heavier than the other pieces, it’s ideal for cooling down—or just keeping the chill off while spectating. The greyishblack sweatshirt is cleanly adorned with a white “X,” with the same hare-and-hound imagery placed near the wrists. It’s understated, functional, and quietly sharp.
I basically live in this hoodie now.
It’s been a while since I’ve lined up for a true cross-country race—the Bush Park XC Series during the summers being my most recent memory—but this collection has me genuinely tempted to find one to put on the calendar this year.
And honestly? It’s making me wish I’d found XC a whole lot earlier.
