An international cross-country tournament is making its way to the Capital City—it’s the World Athletics Cross Country Championships and for the first time in history, Tallahassee will host it.
About 800 runners from 65 different countries will be competing January 10, 2026 in the Championship.
“We are thrilled to see this world event come to Leon County along with the incredible exposure and economic impact it will bring to the community," said Leon County Commission Chairman Bill Proctor.
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
The World Athletics Cross Country Championship comes around once every other year, and Tallahassee will be the first American city to host it since 1992.
Taylor Wheaton is the co-chair for the World Cross Country Championships for Leon County. She calls the worldwide event, the "Olympics of cross-country runners."
“We expect at least 10,000 fans to show up," said Wheaton. "They will come in and watch this historic event, where we really welcome the world to Tallahassee, Leon County.”
Wheaton said the city has never held a worldwide event.
The city is starting the year-long countdown with a free family event this Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Apalachee Regional Park.
There will be free food, bounce houses, and other activities for kids. The community event starts at 10 A.M.