Cross
Founder of CrossFit:
Greg Glassman
Greg Glassman founded the physical training system known as CrossFit. He created it in 2000 and registered it as a trademark with CrossFit Inc. CrossFit includes a variety of exercises such as high-intensity interval training, weightlifting, calisthenics, plyometrics, and others.
Cross-country running [1], or cross (abbreviation from English cross country race or English cross country running) — “running over rough (hilly) terrain”) — is one of the disciplines of athletics.
The cross-country course does not have a clear international standardization[2]. Usually, the track runs over hilly terrain in a forest area or in an open space. The covering can be a grass or earth surface. The race track must be fenced with bright tapes on both sides to separate the athletes from the spectators. At major international competitions, a 1 meter wide corridor is additionally arranged along the ribbons. Competition organizers, coaches, photographers and journalists are located in this space. Competitions are usually held in autumn and winter. Cross-country can take place in harsh weather conditions, such as rain, wind, wet snow.
The length of the track is usually from 3 to 12 kilometers. At the start, all participants are placed in a line or an arc. At a distance of 50 meters from the starting line, the judge starts the race with a pistol shot. If there is a collision of runners or a massive fall in the first 100 meters of the distance, then the organizers are obliged to stop the race and start again.
According to the IAAF, “the cross-country competition season usually takes place in the winter months after the end of the main track and field season.”
History
The homeland of cross country is England. The history of cross-country running began with a game of hare and dog. The essence of the game was that one runner or a group of runners ran and threw pieces of paper on the ground, and the second group had to run after them along the trail of scattered paper. The first official cross-country competition was held at Rugby School in 1837. National championships began to be held in 1876. The first championship had 32 runners, but since all 32 runners withdrew from the course, the race was declared void.[3]
As an official discipline, cross country was held at the Olympic Games in 1904, 1912, 1920 and 1924. The most famous runner of that time was Paavo Nurmi, who won four Olympic gold medals out of nine in cross country.
Since 1973, the World Cross Country Championship has been held annually.
Several CrossFit techniques:
