They trained all summer, logging hundreds of miles in long-distance runs. They added grueling interval workouts in September. They suffered through injuries and fell to a tough Dartmouth squad at Franklin Park. The women's squad defended their title at the Greater Boston Championships.

But you can throw all of that away now. The real Harvard cross country season starts this afternoon, when Harvard meets up with arch-rivals Yale and Princeton at HYP's at the Springdale Golf Club in Princeton.

"[HYP's is] a great spirited race--it has a great history," Princeton women's coach Peter Farrell said. "You'll probably find more spectators at this race than any other triangular meet in the country."

HYP's is the first of four big cross country meets--followed by Heptagonals, the regional championships and nationals--for the Crimson.

"For the past five years, these teams have been three of the top four in the Heps," Yale women's Coach Mark Young said. "In that sense it's a good preview to the Heps."

In the men's race, Yale junior Jim Gibson is the favorite to win. Undefeated in three races this season, Gibson was an Olympic trial finalist and eighth place finisher in the NCAA steeplechase two years ago. This year, Gibson set a record on the new Franklin Park course with a time of 25:23 over five miles.

The Harvard men's team has an extra incentive for defeating Yale. Last weekend, Yale invited Dartmouth to New Haven but held back their top five runners and defeated the Big Green.

"A lot of us want to bury them for that reason," junior Todd Wells said. "It wasn't very sportsmanlike."

Junior Robert Benjamin has led the way for Harvard this season, but recent improvement by sophomore John Oakes, Wells and senior Nicholas Arena should help. Ted Ullyot is still questionable for the race.

Princeton will look to juniors Bill Burke and John Luff and freshman Alexi Indris-Santana in its attempt to capture the title.

The Harvard men's team is confident that it can defend its 1988 HYP title.

"I think it's a race we should win," Benjamin said. "I don't think there is any question about that."

"I feel right now that our men should be favored," Coach Frank Haggerty added.

For the women, junior Suzanne Jones, freshman Rachel Lewis and senior Jody Dushay will be fighting for the top positions, while Yale will look to seniors Susannah Beck, Rebecca Rivkin and junior Sarah E. Smith. Princeton has struggled this season and does not look to be a serious threat.

"The team race really shapes up to be between Harvard and Yale unless the home-course advantage goes berserk," Young said.