For the first time ever, the Canadian Cross Country Championships are coming to the Forest City and it's time to get excited, London!
Being hosted at Fanshawe Golf Course on November 30 - December 1, 2024 and November 29 - 30, 2025, this two day championship event will see the best runners in Canada compete in London for the title of Canadian Champion.
Event Overview
The Canadian Cross Country Championships, known more casually as “ACXC”, are the annual National Championships hosted by Athletics Canada (AC) for the sport of Cross Country (XC) running. Hosted annually, this event features 1,400 of Canada's top distance runners.
After being hosted in Ottawa for the past three years, ACXC travels down the 401 to be hosted here in London for the first time ever, in both 2024 & 2025. These championships will crown national champions in the following age categories: under 16 years-old (U16), under 18 years-old (U18), under 20 years-old (U20) as well as the Open and Masters categories. In addition, this free and open to the public event includes a 1km kids race and 5km community race presented by BackRoads Brews + Shoes, which allows people of all ages and abilities to run on the same course and be apart of the event. Admission and parking is free for anyone to come out and watch! Registration is required for those looking to compete in the community races.
Athletes to watch
London Western Track and Field Club is one of the top track and field clubs in the country, so keep an eye out in most races for London Western athletes among the top runners. In the Open races, you can expect to see some Olympians who were competing in Paris earlier this year. On the women’s side 2024 Olympian Ceili McCabe will be trying to defend her 2023 National title. On the men’s side, there are a few London locals trying to find their way back to the top of the podium; Mike Tate (2019 Men’s Champion) and Connor Black (2022 Men’s Champion) will both be competing on home soil to reclaim their titles. In addition, 2023 Champion and 2024 Olympian Keiran Lumb will be back to try and defend his title!
Schedule
Interested in watching any specific races? Check out the two-day schedule below so that you don’t miss any of the action.
Day 1 (Saturday, November 30th)
11:00 1km kids race
11:30 Masters 6km (70+) & 8km
12:45 U16 Boys 4km
1:30 U16 Girls 4km
2:15 U18 Boys 6km
3:00 U18 Girls 6km
Day 2 (Sunday, Dec. 1st)
10:00 Canadian Cross Country Classic 5k Presented by BackRoads Brews + Shoes
11:00 Open Men 10km
12:00 Open Women 10km
1:00 U20 Men 8km
1:50 U20 Women 8km
2:45 U18 4 x 2km Mixed Relay
See how you stack up
Curious to just how fast Canada’s best runners are and how you compare? Register for the Canadian Cross Country Classic 5K presented by BackRoads Brews + Shoes for the unique opportunity to be apart of the event and race on the same championship course! For younger runners looking to give cross country a shot, there is also a 1km kid's race. For more information on the Community 5km and 1km races, or to register, click here.
Check out Fan Fest
If after all this running talk, you’re still not motivated to run, that’s ok – We’ve got something in store at this event for you too! Check out the ACXC Fan Fest that will be located conveniently between the start line and finish line. Fan Fest will feature music, games, on-stage programming, awards ceremonies, food trucks, vendors and more. This will be the ultimate hang-out spot before or after races and there will be something there for everyone.
See you there!
This rain, snow, or shine event is completely FREE so come join us cheer on the best runners in the nation! as London plays host to the best runners in the nation! Be sure to check out the event page by clicking here for all the latest and up to date event information.
