The Pan Am Cross Country Championships are almost upon us, with more than a dozen countries competing for the fastest time on a challenging course at Bear Mountain Resort in Langford.
The competition takes place on Saturday, Feb. 29 with 126 athletes taking on four races B次元官网网址� two U20 and two senior races. The U20 menB次元官网网址檚 race will be over an eight-kilometre distance, and the women will run six km. Both the senior men and women will run a 10 km course that features more challenging terrain than previous versions of this event.
Runners from all around the world will take part, coming from the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Roca, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, United States and Venezuela.
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Canada and the U.S.A. are fielding strong teams B次元官网网址� with 24 athletes on each B次元官网网址� featuring the countryB次元官网网址檚 best cross country runners. Peru is sending 18 runners, Mexico will send 15, and Brazil and Puerto Rico are sending 12 each. Trinidad and Tobago will have five athletes, the Bahamas will have four; Columbia will have three; Costa Rica, Guadeloupe, Panama and Venezuela will have two each, and one athlete is coming from El Salvador.
A number of races are open to the public as well, in addition to the competition.
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A five km community race kicks off the dayB次元官网网址檚 festivities and participants will be able to run the championship course which includes hills, mud and a sandpit. The Nations Cup B次元官网网址� for students in kindergarten to Grade 8 B次元官网网址� has a schools challenge with schools being designated a country, with students running in t-shirts with the countryB次元官网网址檚 team colours. For older students B次元官网网址� Grades 9 to 12 B次元官网网址� there is the Pacific Northwest Youth Cup where teams of five boys and five girls can score points to determine the fastest city team.
A Canada-USA rivalry in cross country running will also be seen up close at the Can Am Masters Challenge. Canada leads the challenge series over the USA 18 to 14 and is undefeated on Canadian soil.
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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