Monte Carlo – With just one month to go to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the oldest of the IAAF’s World Athletics Series, the spotlight returns to Spain and in particular Andalusia as the Championships will be hosted in the coastal city of Punta Umbria, 100km south west of Seville, on Sunday 20 March.

Spain has one of the strongest traditions in organizing Athletics events and Seville itself played host to the IAAF’s most important competition, the World Championships in Athletics back in 1999. Most recently, it was Barcelona which witnessed an amazing success with the European Championships and it won’t be long until Athletics returns to the Catalan Capital as next year’s World Junior Championships will also be held in Barcelona.

Back to Punta Umbria where 69 Member Federations have already indicated that they will be sending teams. If the figures are maintained by the end of the Final Entry deadline (7 March 2011), Punta Umbria would be the most attended edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in seven years!

Athletes will compete on Sunday 20 March over four races (Men’s Senior & Junior; Women’s Senior & Junior) on a spectacular circuit course inside a beautiful pine forest with the start-finish line located on the athletics track of Punta Umbría.

The course has two natural ascents and descents with an extra artificial two metres obstacle. Furthermore there will be another three smaller obstacles (40 centimetres) every eight metres, adding to the challenge the runners will face. In total runners will tackle nine obstacles per lap.

Many international athletes have tested and hailed this course. Eritrean Teklemarian Medhin, the reigning silver medallist, has described it as very fast with a few very difficult zones, which will ensure that the victory won’t be decided until the final laps.

The initial part of each lap is fast and flat, with the artificial obstacles. And the approach area to the finish line becomes harder with the climbs and descents. A perfect place for a change of pace!

In addition to the main programme, a “Celebrities” race will be hosted on Saturday 19 March with special focus on social responsibility and charity. The 4Km race will be run on the same circuit.

IAAF