TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The World Athletics Cross Country Championship debuts Saturday in Tallahassee. Event organizers say the challenging course will feature Florida-themed obstacles.
- Gates open at 7:45 am at Apalachee Regional Park on Saturday.
- The first race of the day is the mixed relay finals which starts at 9:45 a.m.
- Watch the video below to hear from organizers about the work that went into this course.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A course built to challenge the best cross country runners in the world.
I'm Justin White, your neighborhood reporter at Apalachee Regional Park, where the World Athletics Cross Country Championship kicks off Saturday, January 10th.
"When we submitted the bid saying we were welcoming the world to Florida, we committed to present the most challenging World Cross Country Course they've ever seen," said Kerri Post, executive director of the Leon County Division of Tourism.
Following through on that commitment didn't happen overnight.
Visit Tallahassee Executive Director Kerri Post and her team have been working on this project for more than a decade.
"It's going to be completely transformed from any other cross country event that we've had. Even if people come out here to walk their dog, we are building a city out here to welcome the world to Tallahassee and Leon County," Post said.
Along the two-loop, 10-kilometer course are four challenge areas which runners will encounter five times during the race.
The areas showcase all the things that define the state of Florida.
"There's sand representing the beach. There's water for all of our beaches and rivers and coast. There's mud for the Everglades. We're going to have alligator logs for them to jump over. They're gonna have a huge roller coaster hill to jump up. I mean, there's a reason this is the world championships," Post Added.
And spectators will be able to see the course in a brand new way.
Taylor Wheaton, the senior sports director at Visit Tallahassee, said, "We have four video boards that will be positioned around the course, so you are able to stay stationary and watch the action all throughout the course without having to walk around."
With the final touches being added ahead of Saturday, organizers say they are excited to welcome the world to Tallahassee.
Gates open at 7:45 a.m. January 10th, with the first race at 9:45 a.m. for the mixed relay finals.
From Apalachee Regional Park, I'm Justin White, ABC 27.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
