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Venezuela hosts Pan-American Cross Country Championship

Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

The 2nd Pan-American Cross Country Championship, where athletes run long distances on uneven ground, got underway on Friday in the Venezuelan central state of Vargas, announced the organizing committee.

According to the Venezuelan Athletics Federation, athletes from 30 of the 42 countries that make up the Association of Pan-American Athletics (APA) will participate in the tournament which will take place on the golf courses at Club Caraballeda.

Cross country, unlike track or road races, takes place on uneven ground with mud, puddles, tree stumps and weeds.

The main women's category will be eight kilometres long while the men's will be 10 kilometres long, according to the organizing committee

The youth category will also run for eight kilometres while the lower category for men will run six and women four.

There will also be another popular category where athletes of various ages can participate.

Representatives from the United States, Canada, Jamaica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela will compete, among others. Endit