Last weekend, Cross Country runners in TAS participated in the Thailand Cross Country Invitational in Kanchanaburi with the boys earning first place and girls in second. With 11 schools taking part, the meet took place on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 8:15 a.m. (for girls) and 9:15 a.m. (for boys). Although it was hot and humid, the runners persisted and finished the race strong.
For the boys’ team, Eli K. (‘22) and Dylan C. (‘22) were both the top finishers in the team, finishing off with sixth and seventh in the last semi podium.
“Some of the thoughts that were going through my head when I was running was surprised. I initially thought that I would be much lower in the ranks,  but I was happy that my start put me in 5th place, with my teammate Eli in 6th,” Dylan said. “As a sophomore, I didn’t expect myself to do as well, so being that far up in the front of the pack was astonishing on my part.”
Similarly, the girls were part of the 72 runners, with co-captain Sarahi Z.R. (‘20) in second place and co-captain Evelyn L. (‘20) in fifth place.
The main obstacle during the meet was the condition of the course. “The course was muddy and slippery,” Enya T. (‘23) said, who came in 10th place. “[I had to try] to find the least slippery areas [in order not to fall].”
Furthermore, there were other obstacles the runners had. “This year there were many new runners who participated during Pre-IASAS, [so] one of the obstacles was helping them overcome their pre-race nerves and calm them down.” Sarahi said. “[Although] the unstable ground and mud greatly affected all of the team, [causing] some girls [to fall] several times, [the] weather that day favored us since it wasn’t raining or too hot.”
However, the team still had a great experience. “My favorite memory [at] Pre-IASAS [was] definitely the finish of my race. The whole race was tough as a whole, but the end is what made it my favorite memory. Since scoring [was] based on rank, I was determined to pass as many people as possible, but also prevent them from passing me,” Dylan said. “As a sophomore, I was really proud of myself and hope [that] I can do just as well at IASAS.”