Middle School Cross Country Training PDF - 12 Weeks of Training

Appropriate middle school cross country training is not simply watered-down high school training.  

Our goals for these athletes are simple:  

• We want them to have a great experience running cross country. 
• We want them to become lifelong runners 

• We want to instill in them a love for racing so that they want to compete in high school. 

Finally, we must adopt the mindset that any injury for these athletes is unacceptable – save for an odd growth issue that’s out of your control.  

You would feel horrible if these young learners were unable to race in the fall because they suffered an injury in training. 

I’m going to keep this article short because there are a lot of resources I’m about to share.  

12-Week Training Plan for Two Types of Middle School Athletes 

I’m sharing 12 weeks of training – with warm-ups, speed development workouts, aerobic workouts, and post-run strength and mobility – in a 19-page PDF. 

One training plan is for kids who’ve never done a sport before they join you in the summer (or fall) or who didn’t do a sport in the spring. 

The next training document is for kids who ran track in the spring and are joining you in the summer. You can also use this for kids who played a sport in the spring and are joining you in the summer. 

There is an explanation of what workouts to prioritize if you can only meet kids one, two, or three days a week. 

You can download the 19-page PDF with every document you need here. This PDF is free, and it contains everything you need for summer training for both groups.

Check Out the XC Training System

If you want to get cross country workouts for middle school runners for the entire season, that’s in the XC Training System. 

“I have coached for 25 years, and have tried to stay current on training and coaching methodology throughout my career.  

I can confidently say the XCTS is the best value and input I've received in my coaching career and was effective both as far as results and injury prevention.  

My 25 runner freshman program was 100% on the "no prior training" XCTS plan and for the first time in my coaching career no athlete was injured during the entire season!!!  

The top runner set the school record for the 3K and 5K and the team overall did well by historical standards.  

The training system for my varsity was greatly influenced by the XCTS. The 16:09 team average at our Divisional meet was the fastest in school history and every member of our team had a PR at Divisional or States. Injuries were much less frequent.  

Overall, the team was in the trainer's room less and was highly competitive in the most competitive division in the state of MA.” - Seth Kirby 

"The XC Training System is a game-changer" - Liz Schaffer

Check out the XC Training System (XCTS)

Consider Reading This Article and Watching This Video 

This article is a must-read: A Middle School Cross Country Training Plan for Any Environment 

In the concise video below, I walk you through each day of the middle school training in the PDFs you’ve downloaded.