This event has passed.

2023 WMA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Name: 2023 WMA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Start: 2023-02-18T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2023-02-19T23:59:59+00:00
Location: Mount Panorama (Wahluu)

February 18, 2023 - February 19, 2023

ENTRY INFORMATION

Together with World Athletics, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for WXC Bathurst 2023 and World Masters Athletics have reached an historic agreement to host the World Masters Athletics Short Course Cross Country Championships on the same course from February 18-19.

Masters athletes are invited to experience first-hand the challenges facing the world’s best distance runners – the hills, the boomerang, the billabong, the vineyard and that glorious World Championship feeling in a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Bathurst

Located 207km west of Sydney and 251km from Canberra, Bathurst is also within easy travelling distance of many NSW destinations. Bathurst championship information, travel and accommodation options can be found on the WA championship website (www.worldathleticscrosscountry.com ).

Accommodation

There is a range of accommodation options both in and outside of Bathurst from boutique properties, hotels and motels, bed and breakfasts, farm stays and everything in between.

Masters are required to book their own accommodation and travel. Dedicated transport from Sydney airport will only be provided for World Athletic teams.
There is no public transport to the Mt Panorama venue from the Bathurst city centre (2.5km). Masters will need to organize their own transport from their accommodation.
A Spectator fee is $35 and Masters will be able to purchase tickets through the championship website.
Masters or family members wishing to participate in any of the mass participation events being held during the three days of competition can do so through the World Athletics link.

Travel Options

This historic city is ideally located at the gateway to Central NSW where the Great Western Highway meets the Mid Western and Mitchell Highways. There are a variety of transport methods to get you to Bathurst from Sydney: regional air travel, car or bus. The championship website provides further details.

From Sydney Airport, Bathurst is less than a three-hour drive. There are also three daily bus services from Sydney to Bathurst. Stops include Sydney Central Railway Station, Sydney Domestic Airport and Sydney International Airport.

Multiple car hires are located at Sydney International and Sydney Domestic Airport offering a variety of vehicle hire options.

The drive from Sydney Airport to Bathurst will take you through the stunning Blue Mountains, where a stop off at the iconic Three Sisters is a great place to take a short break and marvel at the view.

Registration

Registration for the WMA Cross Country Championship (Short Course) will be done through the WMA registration system SimplyRegister. Team personnel should also register in the usual way through the WMA system.

Registration for Masters’ athletes will open 8 November and close 31 January with Member validation to close one week later.

Entry Fee

The registration fee €100 (100 Euro) for the WMA 2023 Cross Country Championship (Short Course) also covers participation in the Masters Team Relay event on Saturday 18 February. An additional fee may also be required by a country to cover team personnel expenses.

All WMA championship entrants will also receive general admission access to the World Athletics championship races on Saturday afternoon.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURE

General Rules

Competition will be held under World Athletics regulations as modified for Masters by WMA via their Competition Rules and any other special rules specified for this competition.

General Information

Online is the only method of entry. All entries must include full payment to be considered valid. Athletes who cannot pay online must instead send a paper entry form and payment to their WMA National Masters Member (“Member”), which will then register them and pay on their behalf.

Registration fee: € 100

Additional country-specific fee varies by country.

The entry deadline is 31 January 2023. No entries will be accepted after the entry deadline.

All entries are subject to validation by each athlete’s respective Member. Members will confirm the athlete’s date of birth, citizenship and/or residential qualifications and other relevant requirements. After an athlete’s registration has been validated, its status will display as “accepted” on the list of entries online. Validation is a manual process that each Member completes, so there will be some time (days or weeks) between when you submit your registration and when it is validated. Athletes who have questions about the status of their entry should contact their Member. For athletes who reside in a country where there is no WMA National Masters Member or where the Member fails to fulfil its obligations, their entries will be subject to the approval of the WMA Council.

Online Entry Procedure

Complete the online entry form (see below) prior to the entry deadline.
Submit payment by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) at the end of the entry process.
Print the confirmation screen for your records.
Send a copy of your birth certificate to your Member for validation purposes if you have not already done so in the past.
Your Member will then validate your registration.

WMA National Masters Member Requirements

WMA requires that each Member validate all relevant entries electronically via the online entry system. The Local Organizing Committee (“LOC”) will accept only those entries that have been validated by Members. Each Member must also input any paper entries it receives from its athletes into the online entry system. Payment is required at the time the entries are submitted. If for some reason a Member is unable to pay online, it must request an exemption from WMA. If the exemption is granted, the Member will be provided with details about how to pay offline. The Member will still be required to input paper entries into the online entry system and to validate its entries electronically.

All entries must be submitted online and paid before 31 January 2023. Any entries for which WMA has not received payment by this deadline will be cancelled, and those athletes will be ineligible to compete. No exceptions will be allowed. In addition, all entries must be validated before 7 February 2023. Any entries that have not been validated by this deadline may be rejected, and those athletes will be ineligible to compete.

Members will receive communications regarding the entry process prior to the start of registration. Members that do not receive these communications should contact the WMA Secretary.

Qualifications for Entry

These championships are open only to men and women who were born on or before 18 February 1988 and who are physically fit. Entry signifies that each competitor must follow the rules laid down by the technical and organizing committees. WMA has the right to reject entries of athletes considered ineligible through misconduct or other disciplinary related matters.

An athlete must be a citizen of the country they will represent, or they must be a resident of that country for a minimum of 3 years. If an athlete has represented a different country at a previous WMA World Championship or Regional Championship, they must have change-of-allegiance paperwork on file with WMA at least 30 days before the entry deadline.

MASTERS ATHLETES TO CLAIM HISTORIC WORLD TITLES AT BATHURST 23

For the first time in history, Masters athletes will be able to stake their claim for glory alongside the world’s best cross country athletes at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 23 (WXC Bathurst 23) taking place in February next year. The historic agreement between World Athletics, the Local Organizing Committee for WXC Bathurst 23 and World Masters Athletics will see the World Masters Athletics Short Course Cross Country Championships conducted on the same course as the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on February 18-19, 2023.

Cross country runners aged 35 and older can enter individually but must then be approved by their respective national federations. They will compete across two days of competition with the Masters Teams Relay on Saturday February 18, 2023, and Masters Individual Championship races on Sunday February 19, 2023

Online Entry Form

List of Entrants

COMPETITION INFORMATION

The WMA Cross Country Championships (Short Course) events are to be run over a 2km loop.

The course is challenging, it is hilly and has several different surfaces but is not dangerous. Medical support and water will be available on the course.

Athletes will need to report to a Call Room and then be taken to the start line. Timing chips will be used for the WMA events. The relay change over area is about 120 meters from the start/finish.

MASTERS TEAMS RELAY SAT FEB 18, 2023

The masters team relay will comprise one male and one female athlete completing a total of 4km, competing in five separate age groups.

Time	Age Groups	Distance
11.30am	35-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+	4KM

INDIVIDUAL MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP SUN FEB 19, 2023

The individual championship events on Sunday February 18, 2023.will be races for five-year age categories (6km for ages 35-69 and 4km for 70+) as per World Masters Athletics rules.

Time	Age Groups	Distance
11.45am	70+	4km
12.15pm	35-69	6km

Day 1 – Saturday 18 February 2023

11.30 Masters Team Relay 2 x 2km Loop

The WMA Relay Teams would comprise teams of two (one male, one female) in the following five (5) age groups: 35-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

Athletes must be from the same country
Each country can submit any number of teams of two
Teams must be signed up as part of the registration system, then confirmed the day before the event
Athletes must be registered in the individual race to qualify to enter the relay, but do not have to compete in both events
Athletes can drop down age groups to make up a team. The youngest member of the team sets the age group
Medals to be awarded to the top three teams in each of the five (5) age groups. Only the first team from each country will qualify for medals.

Day 2 – Sunday 19 February 2023

Individual Race – WMA Cross Country Championship (Short Course)

11.45 Masters 4km (M/W 70+)

12.15 Masters 6km (M/W 35-69)

Each athlete to run the following distance: 4km for 70+, 6km for age 35-69
Two races will be conducted, one (1) race for each distance
This race is competed in 5-year age groups with medals for top three in each age group for both men and women
Male and Female athletes can run in the same race
There is no team event for this race; the Relay is the team event
Athletes must compete in their proper age group set on the first day of the championship
The registration fee for this event allows an athlete to compete in the Team Relay

Accreditation and Bib Collection

The Registration Marquee will open from 7.30 am for Bib collection.

Reminder: For collection of your Bib please take proof of ID – your registration receipt and government or other form of ID.

Together with the Elite athletes, accreditation and bib collection for Masters’ athletes will be available on entry to the Mount Panorama venue during the morning of the Saturday events, which include the WMA team relay event. Entry to the venue is from the public parking area, over the footbridge to the designated Accreditation area.

To collect their accreditation pass, registered Masters athletes and Masters support personnel must present a passport or other government-issued identification (with picture included).

Confirmation

For this championship, athletes will confirm their participation by collecting their accreditation.

Your accreditation and bib must be collected on Saturday 18 February, even if you are not competing in the team relay that day.Athletes who have not collected their accreditation will not be allowed to compete.

If you wish to withdraw from (scratch) one of your events, you must inform the Accreditation Centre.

Call Room

For both races Saturday and Sunday, reporting to a Call Room is not required. Masters athletes should go to the start line about half an hour before race time and the WMA team will be there to note them on the start lists.

Results – Chip Timing

Results timing will be done by a chip on the back of the bib.

Medal Presentations

Award presentations will be done once race results have been posted and confirmed. The presentation area is located in the Mount Panorama pit complex. Medal presentations will be held as soon as results are available after each event.

General Information

Visas

The Australian Government website (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas ) lists the requirements for visa applications.

Electricity in Australia

In Australia the standard voltage is 230 V and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. The power plugs and sockets are of type I mainly used in Australia, New Zealand, China, the South Pacific and Argentina. You can use your electric appliances in Australia, if the standard voltage in your country is in between 220 – 240 V (as is in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100 V – 127 V (as is in the US, Canada and most South American countries), you need a voltage converter in Australia. You can also consider a combined power plug adapter/voltage converter.

Local Time in Bathurst during the Championships

GMT + 11 hours (Summertime)

Driving in Australia

Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road as in UK. Seatbelts are required for everyone travelling in a car or in a van, whether seated in the front or rear. It is prohibited to talk on a mobile phone while driving, without using a hands-free device. Drinking and driving is a punishable offence regardless of the road or location (a blood alcohol level of at least 0.5 mg/litre). If buses have seatbelts you are required to use them.

Water

It is safe to drink tap water in Australia.