USA Cross Country Championships
| USA Cross Country Championships | |
|---|---|
| Date | Mid-February |
| Location | United States |
| Event type | Cross country running |
| Distance | 12 km for men 8 km for women 8 km for junior men 6 km for junior women |
| Established | 1890 |
| Official site | USA Cross Country Championships |
The USA Cross Country Championships is the annual national championships for cross country running in the United States. The championships is generally held in mid-February and it serves as a way of designating the country's national champion, as well as acting as the selection race for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
The competition, run under the auspices of USA Track & Field, traces its history back to 1890. The competition was held sporadically until 1905 at which point it has been held every year since. It was previously known at the USA Winter Cross Country Championships and it gained its current moniker in 2003. There is also an annual competition for club runners run by USATF: the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships.
Until 1985, women's championships were held separately in late November (credited as the following year), while men were held in mid-February.
There are four races held at each championships: the men's 12 km open race, the women's 8 km open race, a junior men's race of 8 km and a junior women's race of 6 km. All four serve as selection races for the IAAF World Championships in which the top six runners from each race gain qualification. Each race awards medals on an individual basis and a team basis (where the performances by athletes belonging to a certain running club or sponsor are combined). Between 1998 and 2006 the championships featured short course races of 4 km for both men and women – these races are now discontinued. Occasionally, masters races, determined by age group, are held as part of the championships.
Lynn Jennings, a nine-time US champion, is the only competitor to have won the USA Cross Country Championships and IAAF World Championships in the same year, having done so three times consecutively in 1990, 1991 and 1992. The competition has been televised in the past on ESPN2.
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