HOKA ONE ONE’s Coaching Corner: Cross Country Tip 19: Why is cross country so important? from Tom Nohilly, Assistant Coach, HOKA ONE ONE NJNYTC

Tom Nohilly is one of the assistant coaches at the HOKA ONE ONE New Jersey New York Track Club. This club focuses on middle distance runners, from 800 meters to 10,000 meters. This is the 19th of 34 videos, sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE, to support high school cross country in general and the HOKA ONE ONE Postal Nationals in particular. The Postal Nationals run from August 15-December 15 and can be a wonderful addition to your cross country racing in the fall of 2018. To participate, just click here: it takes a five person team to race 2 miles or 3200 meters.

Cross country, as former RW editor Joe Henderson said, so wisely, so many years ago, is the “meeting place of the miler and the marathoner.” Cross country is the building block for all middle and long distance runners. If you want to run well at 800 meters on up, run cross country. If you are a smart 400 meter runner or have a smart 400 meter runner coach, know that, way back in the 1960s, the late coach Bud Winter at San Jose State had all of his 400 meter runners running cross country, and that included the one and only Lee Evans, former WR holder at 400 meters (look him up).

Tom Nohilly, Assistant Coach, HOKA ONE ONE NJNYTC

HOKA ONE ONE is sponsoring our daily cross country program, which started June 3. We get into full swing the first week of July, but many are just slowing down. HOKA ONE ONE has sponsored our training program, now both track and cross country seasons. We are most appreciative of their support. Each day, we send our programs to 16,000 boys and girls high school programs (about 37,553 individual head coaches). We provide daily workouts to give coaches a parameter from which to begin their personal programs for their teams. Some use them 100 percent. Some pick and choose. We think both is okay. Our goals are to increase healthy participation in cross country and develop American distance runners. HOKA ONE ONE gets it and supports our daily obsessions.

Here is the perfect time for video 19: Why is cross country so important? Tom Nohilly is not only a fine coach, but a fine athlete. In both 1992 and 1996, Tom Nohilly finished fourth in the Olympic Trials steeplechase. In 1989, Tom won the NCAA steeplechase. Now, he coaches the athletes of the NJNYTC.