News & Updates

Athletics New Zealand has received confirmation that the 2021 World Athletics Cross Country Championships – scheduled to be held on 20 March in Bathurst, Australia – has been postponed to a later date beyond 2021.

World Athletics stated that the postponement is due to the “ongoing travel and gathering restrictions resulting from the global COVID-19 pandemic and measures currently being implemented within Australia to contain it, including closure of Australia’s international borders”.

Until a postponement date and updated entry requirements have been confirmed, the Athletics NZ Selection Policy for this event will be made null and void.

As a result of this:

– The 2020 New Zealand Cross Country Championships will go ahead as planned at this stage but will NOT be a Compulsory Selection Trial for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships.

– Applications for the Compulsory Selection Trial will be closed and bonds will be refunded to the relevant athletes.

Please direct any queries regarding the postponement of the World Athletics Cross Country Championships to Athletics NZ High Performance Programme Administrator Brianna Maynard at brianna@athletics.org.nz