Although the sport of cross-country may be easily perceived as just a running sport, a few cross-country veterans can say that there is more to it than what meets the eye.

Cross-country is a grueling six-mile run that happens right after school. Cross-country runners have to start from school as always, but the trails they run are not always the same. Sometimes runners start from school and run down the black road that goes down Whitelock, over the overpass, and back over around Elk Grove Boulevard.

Nydia Ramos, 16 and a junior at Franklin, is a regular student with the extraordinary ability to balance three sports at once. Nydia balances cross-country, soccer, and basketball at the same time.

“ Right after school I have to get to the lockers, change, then run about five to six miles a day,” she says, “ I like to run cross-country because it keeps you in good shape, you burn a lot of fat running six miles a day. Sometimes we have races that are about three miles. It’s more than running, it keeps me a lot healthier than a lot of other people, so I like it a lot,” Nydia says.

Raymundo Rodriguez, 16 and another Franklin junior, is also a runner for cross-country. During leisure times he plays games and does tricks on his skateboard.

“Running serious for me, I’ve been running for years, and I plan on running for a long time,” Rodriguez says. “ Everyday I run after school, but sometimes I like to race, it’s a two mile race for junior varsity, and a three mile race for varsity runners. It’s a six mile run, but it’s fun because all you do is run and talk to your riends. That helps a lot when I’m running.” Ray says. Ray is a veteran runner in the sport and he plans to run for years to come.

Many cross-country runners run to stay in shape. Some run for the fun of running. For Tanya Camillos, however, the sport of cross-country is intriguing to her due to the fact that she has a fetish for being the fastest runner.

Tanya Camillos is a normal Sophomore here at Franklin. Young, smart, full of life and energy. She has always been a fan of running.

“I’ve been running for five years now, and I never get tired of it.” Camillos says. After her epic six mile run a day, she comes home and takes a breather, but on the weekends, she continues to run more.

“ I always had a sort of fetish to be the fastest, or I’d try to be the fastest,” she says, “I’m always competing with my friends so I can get faster, I’ve competed in a lot of long distance races before, but now I’m focusing more on short distance races, I like to take off and waste all my energy really short. That’s how I roll!”

Running cross-country is just running to people who don’t understand that the sport is about speed and fitness. Running keeps these runners in excellent health and reduces health risks in the future. Running is more than just a sport. It means a lifetime of fitness.