Les Croupiers Running Club Forum

This post is for all students of the sport.
As anyone who has ever run a cross country event will tell you, cross country courses vary enormously e.g. Pembrey Country Park is nothing like Parc Bryn Bach.
Tomorrow's world championship venue at Aarhus, Denmark has already provoked a lot of reaction both positive and negative.
The World XC Champs (or its original equivalent) was first held on Hamilton Racecourse, Scotland in 1903. It was an annual event.
Wales played its part in its development, and the last time these championships were held in Wales was in 1976 at Chepstow Racecourse.
I first ran cross country in school at the age of 11 in 1966, so just imagine what impact the World Cross Country Championships had on me when they were held at Buttrills Fields, Barry in 1967!
For all you ladies reading this - Barry was the first time a ladies world championship had ever been held! So you won't be surprised when I say things like "Where Barry leads, the rest of the world follows!"

Sadly, cross country does not get the recognition it truly deserves - and the world champs are now held every other year - so full marks to the Danes for taking it on!

TV Coverage on BBC tomorrow (on the red button) from 9.45 onwards, senior ladies race at 12.00 and senior men at 13.00. And another thing, the ladies and men run the same distance tomorrow - 10 km - so the equality started in Barry 52 years ago has finally come about!