Serbia chosen as new host of 2024 World XC Championships
After the championships were relocated from Croatia due to a lack of preparation earlier this month, World Athletics has selected a new European host
The 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships have found a new home in Belgrade, Serbia.
The city will welcome the event scheduled for March 30, 2024, after the original hosts, Medulin and Pula, Croatia, were forced to withdraw earlier this month due to World Athletics describing their preparations as “not sufficiently advanced.”
The World Athletics Council has awarded the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships to Belgrade, Serbia.
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 27, 2023
The championships will take place in the picturesque Park of Friendship in the heart of Belgrade, next to the Danube River. This location was also used for the 2013 European Championships and promises to provide a captivating backdrop for the championships. This is the second World Athletics championship event to be hosted by Belgrade in just two years.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe voiced confidence in Belgrade’s ability to host the championships, stating: “Belgrade is establishing itself as a reliable host of world-class competitions. Following the memorable 2022 World Indoor Championships, we are confident that the organization of our 2024 World Cross Country Championships is in safe hands.”
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The 2023 Canadian Cross Country Championships (ACXC) in Ottawa in late November will serve as the official selection race for Team Canada. The top finishers in the men’s and women’s open and U20 races at Mooney’s Bay will potentially get the opportunity to represent Canada in Serbia.
In addition to awarding the 2024 World Athletics XC Championships to Belgrade, the World Athletics Council has approved the dates for two other key championships. The 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon, from August 4 to 9, and the 2026 World Athletics Road Running Championships will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 19 and 20.
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