Edinburgh in running for £2m boost

EDINBURGH is set to cash in to the tune of £2 million from staging the first World Cross Country Championships to be held in Scotland in 30 years.

Holyrood Park will host runners from more than 75 countries in the race this weekend.

Around 15,000 people are expected to line the route or watch the proceedings on the big screen, with a further 25 million watching on television throughout the world.

The last time the competition came to Scotland was at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park in 1978, and the city council believes the event will pump up to £2m into the local economy.

Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie said: "With top athletes from all over the world and thousands of spectators descending on Holyrood Park, Edinburgh is in for an exciting weekend of top-notch sport.

"We have a formidable record of hosting major world sporting events and the presence of the World Cross Country and other recently confirmed events demonstrate very clearly that our city is one of the most sought-after venues in the world."

The award-winning Scottish Power Pipe Band will rally the runners before the race, with a lone piper playing as it starts.

Live music on the course will also be provided by the Edinburgh Samba School, She Boom, and the Pink Piper amongst others.

The Holyrood course – which hosted 2003 European Cross Country Championships and stages the Edinburgh International Cross Country races every January – is designed to take advantage of the park's uneven terrain and test the runners to their limit.

However, the weekend will not just be reserved for the professionals.

Tomorrow morning will see a series of races for children and amateurs' races starting with the Welcome the World Young Athlete Relays for under-11s and under-13s.

The relays will be followed by a Disability Athletics race, and the first day of racing will culminate with the first Home Countries Cross Country International since 1990.

Scottish long-distance legend Liz McColgan will present the medals for the races alongside IAAF vice-president and fellow Olympian Sebastian Coe.

On Sunday, the children will come out again for the Welcome the World 5km Relay, accompanied by a parachute display, music and spot prizes.

The main event itself will be split into four separate junior and senior heats for both sexes, with each heat taking a different route around the park.