Track (indoor and outdoor) Is Better.

Track has a multitude of reasons for its superiority, from the more competitive races to a more concise way to matching runners against each other to having a better, more competitive post season.
First off track races are more competitive than cross country. In cross country races everyone must run the 5k. Many of these runners are preparing for the upcoming track season so they are not specifically a 5k runner. While a cross country race with 400+ runners in a single race appears to be more intense and competitive, in actuality it is not. More runners do not simply mean more competition. On the other hand track races offer a variety of options. No matter what distance you choose, from the 55 meters to the 10k, you will be in a race with people who want to be in that race. These runners are more like specialists in that event. They are better prepared for that race and will increase the competition greatly. While you will rarely see more than 20 runners in a single race on the track, those 20 people are all at an equal level of skill and therefore the race is way more competitive.
Another reason is that in cross country there is no great way to match or compare runners to each other. Since every cross country course is different there is no way to compare one’s performance from week to week let alone to another runner. This is a flaw because it means you can go into a race not knowing who to look out for. You can look at someone’s records and think they are slow and so you mistakenly think their fast start is a decoy and let the race get away from you. Also some courses vary slightly in distances. One course may only be 3 miles while another one can be 3.2 miles. This difference can add or subtract 40 seconds to the actual 5k time. As most courses do not indicate how much longer or shorter their course are compared to a true 5k, it makes it hard to find your competition. Track differs because every track is flat and the same distance for each lap (with minor exceptions for indoor tracks). You can easily compare times from week to week as well as to other runners. This is an added advantage as you are matched up into heats that are equal in times. I have been in heats before where the difference from the fastest to the slowest was less than a second, and that was in an 800 meter race. When you match runners up according to their times in a heat, it increases the level of competition.
The post season is really where one can earn pride for themselves and the team. In cross country the post season can be somewhat of a joke. In our four team district there is no chance of being eliminated from the region meet as four out of the four teams automatically advance. Also many qualified runners are knocked out of the state meet due to the fact only four teams can advance from each region. On the contrary track has better ways to qualify for the post season meets. One way is to qualify by time. These times are based on the average of the top eight finishers from last year in that same event. This means even if you have a bad day or if you don’t finish in the top eight you can move on. This adds more qualified, competitive runners to the post season races. The other way is to finish in the top eight of that event. Both ways increase the competition in the post season races.
Cross country pales in comparison to the more superior track. Track offers a more competitive season that matches runners to others with equal abilities. It has a better designed post season that allows for the races to be even more competitive. Since track has more benefits than cross country, it is far superior.