Cryptic crossword clue
Cross-country athlete, regularly logging four miles, never keeps time 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ORIENTEER

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
O
R
I
E
N
T
E
E
R

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Cross-country athlete," is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case cross-country athlete, = orienteer.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does ORIENTEER mean?

ORIENTEER noun
  1. Someone who takes part in the sport of orienteering.
ORIENTEER verb
  1. To race across unfamiliar countryside using a map and compass

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