Athletics Australia – News – Albany to host Australian XC Championships

Athletics Australia and Athletics Western Australia have today confirmed the City of Albany as the host of the upcoming Australian Cross Country Championships in August 2014.
 
Held in conjunction with School Sport Australia, the event is one of the biggest on the Australian athletics calendar. More than 1,000 athletes are likely to compete, with many travelling to the event alongside their families and coaches as part of teams that represent the eight Australian states and territories.
 
The Albany City Council voted to support the event at a special meeting last week, with the Championships expected to inject $2.3 million into the local economy.
 
Dennis Wellington, the Mayor of Albany, said that the city was delighted to be able to announce such a high profile event so soon after the massively successful 2013-14 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race stopover which was held in the region this past Wednesday.
 
“This event has the potential to be significantly bigger than the Clipper Race in terms of visitor numbers, and will serve as a fantastic lead in to the ANZAC Centenary commemorations in November 2014,” Wellington said.
 
“According to a conservative independent analysis by Eventscorp, more than $2.3 million will be generated by the estimated 2,450 athletes, officials and spectators travelling to Albany.
 
“The City of Albany, through the Albany Visitor Centre, will soon be contacting its accommodation providers to encourage discounted packages for interstate visitors.”
 
“Athletics Australia and Athletics Western Australia are very excited about bringing the Australian Cross Country Championships to the City of Albany in August 2014. It is our great privilege to work alongside such an enthusiastic community and we are confident that the event will be well promoted, managed and delivered,” Dallas O’Brien, the Athletics Australia Chief Executive Officer, added.
 
“The event is one of the largest on the Australian athletics calendar, and in collaboration with School Sport Australia it is set to bring more than 1,000 athletes plus their families to the region in what should be ideal conditions for distance running.
 
“Athletics Australia is very aware of the benefits that an event of this size brings to regional areas, and the in-principle agreements we have with Athletics Western Australia and the City of Albany to provide subsidies to improve the cost effectiveness for travelling athletes go a long way to making this possible. We thank both organisations for their support on this front.”
 
The Australian Cross Country Championships have been held annually as an event for both men and women since 1973, with the event appearing in different formats prior to that since 1908.
 
The announcement of the City of Albany as host for 2014 sees the return of the event to Western Australia for an eighth time. It will be the first time it is held outside of Perth. The last time the Australian Cross Country Championships was held in a regional area was in 2009 when Nowra, New South Wales was host.
 
The City of Albany will also act as host of the Australian Winter Race Walking Championships on the day immediately following the Australian Cross Country Championships.
 
The Athletics Australia Competitions Department will make further announcements about both events, including the finalised schedule of subsidies to be made available, in early 2014.

Athletics Australia – News