The city of Tallahassee is set to host an athletic world championship.
The World Athletics Council announced Thursday that the city of Tallahassee will host the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships.
According to Leon County Government, the championship will take place at Apalachee Regional Park, which is the home of Florida State's cross country program.
They don’t contest the sport at the Olympics, so this is as big as it gets,” said FSU Head Coach Bob Braman. “It’s going to be awesome to show our incredible course to the entire world."
See you soon, Florida! 👋🇺🇸
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) July 14, 2022
The World Athletics Council confirms the #WorldCrossCountry Championships 2026 will take place in Tallahassee, Florida.
📰 https://t.co/0IGiYUCy7v pic.twitter.com/S9EbSSPf9S
Florida Republican Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02) sent a letter of support for Tallahassee to host the 2026 cross country world championships.
In a letter dated Sept. 2021 to the president of World Athletics Sebastian Coe, Dunn noted, “Tallahassee’s event pedigree and passion for the sport of distance running, paired with the resources of the great state of Florida, makes for a perfect combination.”
The letter noted the efforts of Visit Tallahassee and Leon County to bring the championships to the Big Bend.
Dunn represents parts of Tallahassee and Leon County among other counties in the panhandle and Big Bend in the United States House of Representatives.
According to the World Athletics news release, the cross country championships will be held in the United States in 2026 for the first time since 1992 when Boston hosted the event.
Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long expressed how excited the county is to be chosen to host the 2026 championship.
"Five years ago, we sought to host the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships as the most prestigious cross country destination in the nation, and this past November, that goal became a reality," said Long.
The 2026 event will be the third time the United States has hosted the event. The first was in New York in 1984.
Leon Co. World Athletics Ltr of Support by WTXL ABC27 on Scribd
For more information, contact Leon County Tourism/Visit Tallahassee Marketing Communications Director, Scott Lindeman at (850) 606-2322 or Scott.Lindeman@VisitTallahassee.com.
