As Ottawa weather turns cold and wet, the country’s best cross country racers will heat up the trails of our Nation’s Capital for the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships, to be held November 27.
“Winning a national championship is always a special experience for an athlete. Athletics Canada is proud to provide a safe environment for all the competitor to do what they do best – compete. The same goes for the coaches, officials and race volunteers that make these events happen. With this being the first time the Canadian Cross Country Championships have been held in Ottawa, it is all the more special to put on this first-class event, with our first-class partners, in one of Canada’s greatest cities,” said Athletics Canada CEO David Bedford.
This race for the gold marks Ottawa’s first time hosting the event, a feat the capital will repeat in 2022. Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean will be the site where the first national cross country champions since 2019 will be crowned. The 2020 event was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Run Ottawa has decades of experience showcasing the best road racers Canada has to offer at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Working with Athletics Canada as the Local Organizing Committee for the Canadian Cross Country Championships is an honour and pulls us off the road and into whatever Wesley Clover Parks has to offer in late November!”, said Ian Fraser, Executive Director, Run Ottawa. “Run Ottawa is also privileged to partner with the Ottawa Lions to help us execute a stellar Championship for Canada's best athletes."
Wesley Clover Parks is a new setting for Cross Country in Ottawa. While races are annually contested at Mooney’s Bay Park and The Hornet’s Nest, race organizers have created a challenging course that will allow athletes to push the pace on the flats, grind out the competition in the rolling wooded trails and take on the elements mother nature has in store for them in late November. The course has a bit of everything and will also allow spectators to get around to many vantage points and cheer on the athletes.
“As soon as it was shared that Ottawa would be the site of the 2021 and 2022 Athletics Canada Cross Country Championships, we didn’t waste any time. While it was only four years ago Ottawa welcomed the best in Canadian Athletics at the Canadian Track and Field Championships, we are thrilled to welcome Canada’s best harriers to Wesley Clover Parks,” said Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club Director and Head Coach Richard Johnston.
Upwards of 1,000 competitors descend on the host city every year to compete in the Canadian Cross Country Championships in the U18, U20, Open and Masters age categories. Consistent with Athletics Canada’s mandatory vaccination policy, all athletes, coaches, volunteers and spectators will need to provide proof of full vaccination to participate in the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships.
The deadline to register for the 2021 Canadian Cross Country Championships is Monday, November 15 at 7 p.m. ET.
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