Aarhus, Denmark – “Crazy project – in a fun way!” and “Never thought I could get up nor down” were some of the cross-runners’ immediate comments on the extreme and unique World Championship course approved by The International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF, on Wednesday’s test race.
IAAF approves ‘Back to the Roots’ course for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2019 in Denmark
The course passes over the roof of Moesgaard Museum. At the same time, the organizers announced Mikkeller, as a title partner of World Cross Country Championships 2019.
On Wednesday, March 7, IAAF brought the former cross-country world champion Annette Sergent-Petit from France to test the challenging course. The course consists of a 2k loop, and 75m of elevation ascend/descend per loop on grass and open woodland and with challenge zones of sandpit, mudpit, and The Roof: The course peaks as it takes the runners up the steep, grassy roof at Moesgaard Museum.
aarhus roof – world XC champs 2019
The main purpose of the visit was the official technical review and approval of the course conducted by IAAF’s technical delegate, Luis Saladie.
“With the approval of the Danish proposal for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2019, we can now take cross country running back to its roots. Cross country is a about running beyond the limits. Together with the organizers, the city of Aarhus and Sport Event Denmark we will for sure stage an event that will go down in history,” said Mr. Saladie, when he stepped down from the roof and the former world champion, Annette Sergent-Petit added:
“I enjoyed very much the course. It is a real cross country course with a lot of up- and downhill as it is very intense with curves and you must keep concentrated all the time. There is not much time to recover. The Roof is brilliant and mixes culture and sport. To be on the roof of the culture is a good symbol. It is an interesting event-set-up. After having run the course today, I’m now actually motivated to register for the recreational race.”
Mikkeller official title partner of the World Cross Country Championships 2019
The organizers also announced the title partnership with the micro-brewery, Mikkeller, which also accounts for more than 200 race communities around the world:
“We hope that as many of them as possible will come along for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are looking forward to it! In 1994, I ran my one-and-only World Cross Country Championship. Here, 25 years later, I’m now partnering with the IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2019,” says Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who founded the micro-brewery, Mikkeller in 2006. In 2014, he established Mikkeller Running Club together with Søren Runge.
The organizers of the World Cross Championships are looking forward to the cooperation with the worldwide running community.
“With the various initiatives in the field of running, Mikkeller has been a refreshing addition to the continued development of running. In 2014, The Danish Athletics Federation staged a ‘game-changing’ World Half Marathon resulting in the great acknowledgment from IAAF. Now we repeat the success together with Mikkeller, and again together with Sport Event Denmark as in 2014. Aiming for the same in 2019 is ambitious, but we think the partnership with Mikkeller is an excellent start of the journey,” says Jakob Larsen, Director of the Danish Athletic Association.
Registration opens April 4
Registration opens on April 4, and there will be several opportunities for participating for the recreational runners:
· THE SPRINT: Blood, sweat, tears; and maximum speed on a crazy World Championships course: Compare yourself to the World’s best!
· THE RELAY: Who is going to be on your World Superstar Team? Think twice and pick only the hard-core runners for your 4x2k relay team!
· THE SEARCH: Cross Kings seek challengers in a cocktail of the wildest from World X Country and Trail Running!
FACTS ON THE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019
NAME: IAAF / Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships Aarhus 2019
DATE: March 30, 2019
PLACE: Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus
ORGANIZERS: The Danish Athletics Association, Sport Event Denmark, The City of Aarhus and Moesgaard Museum.
REGISTRATION OPENS: April 4, 2018 at Aarhus2019.dk/eng
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