Mombasa WXC logo 2007 (© c)
MonteThe 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Mombasa, Kenya, on Saturday 24 March 2007 will be the fourth occasion on which Africa has hosted the world’s best cross country runners, and preliminary entry figures show that the event will be on par with previous festivals.
The World Cross Country Championships, the oldest IAAF World Athletics Series event having begun under the IAAF’s banner in 1973, has been held on the African continent on three previous occasions, in Rabat, Morocco in 1975, in Cape Town, South Africa in 1996, and in Marrakech, Morocco in 1998.
When the preliminary entry deadline closed last week, a total of 66 Member Federations had confirmed their intention to compete in Mombasa. Not surprisingly this figure dwarfs the list of 26 nations that took part in Rabat’75, when the former International Cross Country Championships (1903-1972) were just beginning to rise in global participation.
Yet the interest in Mombasa 2007 is also on par with the two most recent African editions of the World Cross Country Championships when 65 and 66 countries respectively sent athletes to Cape Town and Marrakech.
Final entries close by midnight 12 March 2007, Monaco time, and we can be certain that all athletes, officials, media and spectators who visit Mombasa will receive a warm welcome and experience Championships to rival past editions.
TEAMS AND RESERVES
Senior Men
Teams of no more than twelve (12) athletes can be entered in the race. Nine (9) athletes will be allowed to start in each race, six (6) of whom will score.
Junior Men, Senior Women, Junior Women
Teams of no more than eight (8) athletes can be entered in all races. Six (6) athletes will be allowed to start in each race, four (4) of whom will score.
AGE CATEGORY
Junior athletes (i.e. athletes who are 18 or 19 by 31 December 2007) can compete in any race. However, Junior athletes cannot compete in both Junior and Senior Races.
Youth athletes (i.e. athletes who are 16 or 17 by 31 December 2007) can compete only in the Junior Race.
IAAF
