Athletics NSW to co-host the WXC Bathurst 23 Test Event
Published Tue 21 Jun 2022
Wednesday 8th June, 2022
Athletics NSW joins World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 Local Organising Committee to host the WXC Bathurst 23 Test Event
The 2022 NSW Short Course Cross Country Championships (NSW XC Short Course) will be conducted at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, NSW, as part of the leadup to the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23, on Sunday 7th August, 2022.
Athletics NSW (ANSW) is working closely with the WXC Bathurst 23 Local Organising Committee (LOC) and Athletics Australia (AA) in delivering this year’s NSW XC Short Course, which is also acting as a test event for WXC Bathurst 23 in identifying and testing the course design and functionality, capturing vision and photos to promote the World Championships, engaging the local community, and providing media coverage in the leadup to the main event, to be held on 18th Feburary, 2023.
ANSW CEO, Christian Renford, commented on the opportunity:
“We are very proud to be playing a major part in the leadup to the first World Athletics Series event in Australia in over 25 years, and we are looking forward to working with our community to ensure they have a unique, once-in-a-generation experience in running on the same course as the world’s best in just a few months’ time.”
“We’d like to thank the WXC Bathurst 23 LOC for the ongoing operational support in assisting us with the delivery of a very special NSW XC Short Course, one that we hope our membership will remember for many years to come.”
General Manager – World Athletics Cross Country, Richard Welsh, commented on the importance of the test event in the LOC’s overall planning, and the working relationship with Athletics NSW to achieve their objectives.
“Partnering with Athletics NSW is ideal for us, as it allows us to set-up the course for the World Championships for some 600 runners to go over the circuit. Participants will be surveyed afterwards and feedback taken on to ensure the course will be ready to host the world’s best athletes.”
“We’ll have a range of abilities trying the course including elite athletes, para-athletes, juniors, masters and recreational runners. Having this variety of athlete is important as the World Championships weekend is going to be full of all types of races, with an event suitable for every type of runner.”
“It’s also going to be a good chance to look at other event elements like traffic control, carparking, people flow, competition procedure and officials’ movements. We’ll also take the chance to digitally capture as much of the action as we can to promote the event for February.”
AA CEO, Peter Bromley said he was delighted to welcome Athletics NSW in hosting the test event, emphasising the importance of the opportunity in delivering a world class event.
“The countdown is well and truly on for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships next year, and we are thrilled to welcome Athletics NSW as a host for the test event this August. The NSW XC Short Course is a key event on the Athletics NSW calendar, attracting hundreds of budding athletes around the state,” Bromley said.
The weekend of the NSW XC Short Course will also include a range of activities outside of the cross country races, including a 1-mile fun run to take place on the Saturday, as well as courses and forums for the athletics community, with more details to be provided shortly.
(Pictured above: Sarah Schiffman competing in the U20 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, 2019. Credit: Athletics Australia)
