Up until about two weeks ago, I had never watched a college cross country race. Due to injury, inflamed IT band, I was able to partake in being a spectator, although unwillingly. There are some major differences in being a spectator than an actual competitor. There are obvious differences of course; you don’t have to run and there is no need to dress in ridiculous short shorts unless you want to. There are more subtle differences, as well: less nerves and a lot of downtime. The nerves that were usually present as I stepped onto the course were absent. It was very odd to be one of the few that was calm in a sea of nerves. Though not always apparent on the outside, every runner and coach has a nervous feeling before a race, but they all deal with it differently. Some runners tune out the rest of world with headphones, others seem to bounce around excessively, and others seem completely normal except for the fact that they are constantly checking their watches or double knotting their shoes. It made me smile slightly that I could breathe normally and not have the feeling of my tongue swelling inside my mouth. It was almost a nice feeling, except that I knew what I was missing out on. Another difference is that there is a lot of downtime. The most important rule in watching a cross country race is that you need to have a good place to watch. If you are smart, choosing a good place lets you observe the race several times without moving. This also allows for a lot of spare time, where there is no action at all. The frontrunners could be passing each other numerous times or one could have tripped over a root and not able to race, and you would have no idea. Instead, you stand around waiting for runners to pass. I have to give a lot of credit to spectators to be so committed; it takes patience to wait for the runners. Yet, the sense of excitement in watching the runners as they pass is well worth it. No matter where you are in the country, the heroic efforts of runners can be witnessed in your locale. The inspiration of watching someone push their physical, mental, and spiritual limits through running can serve as a catalyst for pushing one’s own limits in life. Whether it’s a college DI or no-name-5k, get out there and feel the energy that your fellow runners create. Here is a look at some of the dramatic action that occurred this weekend: The top-ranked Abilene Christian men’s team took top honors at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree on September 29. They tied with Oklahoma State; ranked eighth in NCCAA Division I. Abilene Christian’s Nicodemus Naimadu’s streak of eleven straight individual titles came to an end as he came in second to Joseph Kosgei of South Plains College. Naimadu was edged by Kosgei by merely four seconds on the 8k course, Kosgei finishing in 23:42. Abilene Christian’s Loice Cheboi was the first Division II finisher in the women’s 5k with an 18:16. Southwest Baptist was the first Division II team finisher in the 5k race. At the Roy Griak Cross Invitational hosted by University of Minnesota this weekend, South Dakota’s Ramsey Kavan won the women’s 6k race with a time of 22:08 over Augustana’s Rachel Stangler . Augustana won the women’s team title with 69 points over Nebraska-Kearney with 145. In the men’s 8k race Manitoba’s Kristjan Hunter won the race with a 25:27 over Minnesota State-Mankato James Krajsa who ran a 25:29. Minnesota State-Mankato took the team competition with 110 points over Minnesota-Duluth with 123. Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler finished 10th in 21:05 at the Stanford Invitational this weekend over a 6k course to become the highest Division II finisher. Adams State came in second in behind Stanford in the women’s team competition and was the highest Division II team. Adams State’s Aaron Braun placed fourth over the 8k course in a time of 23:38 and was the highest Division II finisher. Adams State also finished fourth in the men’s competition and first Division II team. At the Citadel Invitation, Lenoir- Rhyne’s Genna Eisenmann won the Division II race covering the 5k course in 18:42. Lees-McRae won the women’s team competition with 37 points over Lenoir-Rhyne who had 93 points. Lee- McRae’s Lewis Martin won the men’s 8k race with the time of 25:21. Lenior-Rhyne tied in the men’s team competition with Lees-McRae.