Would cross country benefit the 800m?

Yes, you need to develop your aerobic engine in order to maximize your potential at the 800m.

no. focus on speed.

Yes, as long as you don't neglect your speed, it can only help!

Ways to not neglect speed:

-strides

-quick 100s/200s after endurance workouts @ mile/800 effort (not pace)

-hill work (whether that is sprints or just hard efforts)

-weights

-plyometrics (if you already do them, it might be too much stress for your body if you don't already)

While you don't want to neglect speed, make sure you use short bouts, too long and you risk peaking early in xc and in track.

Any running you can do should help you because lets be honest, your PRs are not good. XC will help with general fitness and help you a lot more than just lifting and speedwork will if you want to break 2 minutes someday. Also, no way you put any effort into XC in hs if you could only run 23:11.

another perspective wrote:

Any running you can do should help you because lets be honest, your PRs are not good. XC will help with general fitness and help you a lot more than just lifting and speedwork will if you want to break 2 minutes someday. Also, no way you put any effort into XC in hs if you could only run 23:11.

In highschool I just goofed off at track and xc practice. That's why I feel like I could easily run a sub 2 if I put in the work

Yes, given your 800m time more running and running consistently will go a long way. Once you drop 12 seconds it is probably time to move to speed work.

Didn't seem to hurt Clayton Murphy

Or Peter Snell! Or Steve Ovett!

Both 800 gold medalists, both ran cross country at a high level.

Yes, running XC and putting in an honest effort will go a long ways to improving your 800m times.

I assume you are thinking about college XC. So much of racing success is psychological. Why would you want to be, by far the worst XC runner on your college team? Maybe you are a female? No male with a high school 5K XC PB of 23:11 would consider racing college XC.

The 800 is more aerobic than anaerobic, so yes it would absolutely help. Anyone who just says "focus on speed" clearly does not know how the body' should energy systems work and should not be given any credence. Do cross if you want to improve your 800.

The famous Baylor Bears coach claimed the 400 was only 3% aerobic but that you need long distance running

and interval training to prepare for heats and to recover from races. I am not sure where he got all that.

Other sources have estimated the 400 to be about 33% aerobic. The 800 was about 40% and the mile

is at 50%.

Cross country is needed desperately for the 800 meter run.

I know a high school kid who started XC in 7th grade. He ran the 100 in 10.7 by the time he was a senior.

He swore XC kept him from having injuries during track & field.

The sprinting form and distance running forms are different? Yes, but if you run a lot it's easy to change

from one to the other even during a race.

The mile is far more than 50% aerobic even for those finishing sub 4.