SA Cross Country Trials in Boksburg

SA Cross Country

Thursday, 10 January 2013 – Entries are still open for the SA Cross Country trials taking place at the Boksburg Stadium in Boksburg on 26 January.  All athletes hoping to compete on the day must enter as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

With the Southern Region Cross Country Championships in Lesotho in early March and the World Cross Country Championships in Poland on 24 March, the trials will play a crucial role in team selection.

The trials will cater for junior and senior athletes, with senior men competing over 12km while senior women run 8km.  Junior men and women will compete over 8km and 6km respectively.  The course will consist of a 2km loop. The first event will start at 09:30.

A national squad of 24 athletes (6 senior men and 6 senior women, and the same number in the junior category) was selected to compete on the day by using the 2012 Cross Country Championships results.  These athletes include some familiar faces such as Nolene Conrad and Lebo Phalula in the senior women’s squad, while Elroy Gelant and Gladwin Mzazi are two of the favourites in the men’s squad.  The full squad can be found at the bottom of the release.

The trials are open to any individual, local and international, who wants to challenge athletes in the ASA squad as well as those looking to test their fitness levels.  All athletes must enter through their respective provinces and pre-entries must reach Athletics South Africa by no later than 18 January 2013.

Individual entries will be accepted on the morning of the trials, but at a cost of R30 per athlete.  All athletes are therefore urged to enter as soon as possible.

The full squad is: