cross-country skiing / long-distance running
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cross-country skiing
A winter sport in which you move on skis and with poles along a cross-country ski trail or through open terrain. Unlike Alpine skiing, you do not only ski downhill, but also on flat ground and uphill.
Im Winter gehen wir am Wochenende oft zum Langlauf in den Bayerischen Wald.
In winter, we often go cross-country skiing in the Bavarian Forest on weekends.
'Langlauf' is made up of the adjective 'lang' (long) and the noun 'der Lauf' (run). So it describes a sporting activity over a long distance.
Der Langlauf durch die verschneite Landschaft dauerte mehrere Stunden.
The cross-country ski trip through the snowy landscape lasted several hours.
The context makes clear which meaning is intended. Words like 'Ski' (ski), 'Loipe' (cross-country ski trail), 'Schnee' (snow), or 'Winter' (winter) point to the winter sport. Terms like 'Leichtathletik' (track and field), 'Stadion' (stadium), or 'Meter' (meters) point to running.
Für den Langlauf im Schnee braucht man eine gute Ausrüstung.
For cross-country skiing in the snow, you need good equipment.
For the winter sport, the verbs 'machen' (to do) or 'gehen' (to go) are often used. For example, you say 'Langlauf machen' (to go/do cross-country skiing) or 'zum Langlauf gehen' (to go cross-country skiing).
Am Sonntag wollen wir Langlauf machen.
On Sunday we want to go cross-country skiing.
sprint
'der Sprint' and 'der Langlauf' can both be sports involving movement and endurance, but they are clearly opposites. A sprint is short and is run at maximum speed. In track and field, 'Langlauf' means a long-distance running event; more often, however, people think of cross-country skiing in winter when they hear 'Langlauf'. The words can be confused because both are connected to 'Laufen' (running). The important point is: a sprint is about a short distance and top speed, while 'Langlauf' is about long duration and endurance, often even on skis.
Im Winter macht Paul Langlauf, weil er gern lange Strecken auf Skiern fährt.
In winter, Paul does cross-country skiing because he likes covering long distances on skis.
Nach dem Start war der Sprint schon nach wenigen Sekunden entschieden.
After the start, the sprint was decided within just a few seconds.