2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, Course Details Emerge

By Adam Kopet

The course for the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be hard. That is according event director Jakob Larsen, who also serves as head of the Danish Athletic Federation. In a blog post, Larsen gives an update on the March 30, 2019, event in Aarhus, Denmark.

First and foremost, any athlete who plans to compete in Aarhus next year should like hills. Each two-kilometer lap of the course features about 230 feet of elevation gain. That will mean the 10-kilometer championship race will include more than 1,100 feet of climbing.

The course will include a water pit, mud pit and sand pit that runners must traverse each lap. Additionally, one of the downhill sections will include a 180-degree turn on a bank, similar to a banked indoor track.

Fan support organization will also play a big role in next year's event. There will be an area of the course called the Viking Gauntlet, where runners will be greeted by fans from the local Viking Community.