Cross country is for the guts
Track is for the glory
That's my take on it. XC is insane and I absolutley love it. But no one really sees you, or at least the whole race or outcome, until the end by the finish line.
Track however, people can see your whole race and you can get all the kudos, even if you're not that strong of a runner, your coach will find a race to stick you in.
The oval gets boring though....how do you guys occupy yourself or your mind when you've got 8 laps? I've been trying to think of something but can't really do it. Usually I focus on passing people or keeping my place but I get bored really easily when the scenary is just an oval, lol.