Grass is the surface for all ISU cross-country events, but it’s not always the best surface for the team to train.

Each week during training, the team tries to focus its runs on paved and soft trails in order to keep the runners healthy.

Runners run from Lied and make loops around campus and Ames during their easy runs. They travel to trails in Huxley or McFarland Park for their longer runs.

The cross-country course is a great strength builder for the team, but ISU assistant coach Will Palmer said the grass also wears on the body.

“Grass is a great training surface because it really makes you strong,” Palmer said. “At the same time, we have to be careful because it’s much harder on your body. There are a lot of stabilizing muscles that get worked, so usually we won’t go on there more than once a week.”

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