Cross country running is a
sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. Sometimes the runners are referred to as
harriers. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of
grass, and
earth, pass through
woodlands and open country, and include
hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road. It is both an
individual and a
team sport; runners are judged on individual times and teams by a points-scoring method. Both men and women of all ages compete in cross country, which usually takes place during
autumn and
winter, and can include weather conditions of rain, sleet, snow or hail, and a wide range of temperatures.