World Cross Country Championships in Jeopardy

The Standard reported today that the World Cross Country Championships are in jeopardy.  The article reports that the championships are lacking sponsorship support, as well as countries willing to play host to the event.  

It also mentions that after next year's World XC Championships in Poland that the event will then be held in two years.  This is a major blow to the international distance running community and towards the movement to get cross country included in the Olympics.

"The future of the World Cross country championship looks bleak after International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced that lack of sponsorship hinders them from hosting the event annually.

The tournament, which was held in Kenya in 2005, has been an annual event since its introduction 37 years ago, but lack of steady sponsorship has now forced the organisers to hold it after every two years."