Next year's World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Australia postponed until 2023

The 2022 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Australia has been postponed due to the pandemic, World Athletics said on Wednesday.

The event was scheduled to be held next year in Bathurst but will now take place in 2023 at the same venue.

The global competition has been postponed due to the biosecurity measures and travel restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Australia. While international events are currently scheduled for early 2022 in Australia, the 14-day quarantine requirements for international visitors are not practical for a one-day event like World Cross Country.

“We’re looking forward to hosting the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in 2023. Mount Panorama is a world-famous international racing track venue, attracting competitors from across the globe and is the perfect backdrop for the most important cross-country event in the world,” Mayor Ian North of Bathurst Regional Council was quoted as saying by World Athletics.

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships, regarded as the toughest race on the calendar, will witness more than 500 athletes from as many as 60 countries.

The competition in 2023 will comprise the U20 men’s (8km) and women’s (6km) races, the universal mixed relay (8km) and the senior individual men’s and women’s races (10km). These World Championship events will be supported by a series of mass participation races.

“We would like to thank World Athletics and the New South Wales Government for their continued confidence in our ability to deliver a world-class event in February 2023. We will continue to work hard over the next year to be ready to welcome the world’s best cross-country athletes and athletics fans to Bathurst for a global celebration of cross country running," said local organising committee (LOC) Co-Chair and Athletics Australia Board Member Jill Davies.

The health and safety of the entire running community and the host region is at the forefront of this postponement.

"World Athletics and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) are committed to the responsible planning and delivery of the event, which includes ensuring that athletes from all international federations are able to participate and enjoy an experience that is befitting of a World Athletics Series event," said World Athletics.