BELGRADE, Serbia — Good day from Serbia!
It appears like simply yesterday I used to be at Budapest’s Nationwide Athletics Centre for the 2023 World Athletics Championships and now I’m again in Central Europe — albeit just a few hundred miles down the Danube River — for Saturday’s 2024 World Athletics Cross Nation Championships.
I’m right here solo, and I’ll admit it: I miss the Johnson brothers. These huge worldwide journeys are extra attention-grabbing when considered one of them is concerned, and I imply attention-grabbing in each sense of the phrase. Hectic and chaotic? Often. Messy? You wager. However enjoyable and thrilling too. There’s no method I’d have gone gorilla trekking in Uganda with out the Brojos, and for higher or worse, Robert inspired me to attempt an electrical scooter for the primary time in Hungary final yr, which ended with me shedding a sport of hen towards a gaggle of drunken followers on the evening Noah Lyles grew to become 100-meter world champion. It’s by no means boring with the Johnsons.
However they’re not right here this weekend and LetsRun.com wants boots-on-the-ground protection from considered one of our favourite occasions. For the reason that web site was based in 2000, we’ve traveled across the globe for World XC: Eire, Kenya, Jordan, Poland, China, Uganda, Denmark, and Australia. So I’m right here solo as Serbia hosts the World’s Best Footrace for the primary time.
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It’s early going, however the buzz isn’t fairly the identical because the final two editions in Aarhus and Bathurst. Although that’s not a good comparability. It’s simple to be the speak of the city when the city is small. Aarhus has a inhabitants of 290,000, Bathurst 37,000. Belgrade’s is 1.3 million.
Perhaps it’s as a result of I didn’t get in till Thursday afternoon round 3 p.m., by which period the one people nonetheless on the course had been the organizers for Tallahassee 2026 getting tips about how you can stage the following version. The one runners I noticed right this moment had been the Peru workforce ready for a bus again to their lodge and the Canadian U20 squad, just a few of whom had been doing laps of the Munich airport to remain free.
However I feel the sensation stems from the course itself. In Bathurst final yr and particularly in Aarhus 5 years in the past, the course was the star of the present. Aarhus was the toughest cross nation course I’ve ever seen in addition to probably the most entertaining. Bathurst’s course was hilly and difficult, with some good touches of native taste, together with the winery part.
Belgrade’s course, then again, is barely a step above what you’d discover at a highschool twin meet. The Park of Friendship, which is able to host the meet, is correct on the Danube, and there are a selection of waterfront eating places close by for post-race actions. However there may be little to tell apart the part of the park the course runs by way of from another European park. The one “hills” to talk of are a few vibrant blue momentary bridges overlaying concrete walkways.
This isn’t the fault of the Belgrade organizers. The cities of Medulin and Pula in Croatia had been initially awarded this meet again in July 2022, however World Athletics stripped the occasion from them in September 2023, stating that “preparations haven’t superior sufficiently.” Belgrade was not introduced because the host till September 27, leaving the organizers barely six months to arrange the championships.
Consequently, the course lacks creativity in comparison with the final two editions. However moderately than criticize Belgrade for what they don’t have, they deserve reward for stepping up and delivering a championships on brief discover. If the 2024 version had been cancelled, that will have meant only one World XC within the six-year stretch from 2020-25. Fortunately, that won’t be a problem and operating followers will as a substitute get three World XCs in 4 years from 2023-26.
The largest issue on Saturday, by far, would be the climate. With a excessive of 81 levels within the forecast as of Thursday evening and little cloud cowl anticipated, taking steps to keep away from melting down within the warmth might be of utmost significance. From Kenenisa Bekele at Mombasa 2007 to Joshua Cheptegei at Kampala 2017 to Letesenbet Gidey final yr in Bathurst, even the mightiest runners have come undone on heat days at World XC. If it might occur to them, it might occur to anybody.
I don’t count on the course itself may have a lot impact on the end result, however let’s take a fast tour simply so we’re all accustomed to it forward of Saturday’s races.
The Course
Obtain (PDF, 4.49MB)
The course is pretty easy: one skinny 1887m loop that’s run 5 instances within the senior races, along with a 270m beginning straight and 320m ending straight (the beginning/end is in the identical space). One factor to notice is that all the discipline will do a U-turn lower than 300m into the race. A reminder to get off the road properly.
From there, it’s time for the primary “function”: a brief picket field used to cowl a cement barrier that runners must hurdle. Be careful for stubbed toes!
The Belgrade course is notable for quite a lot of bushes sprinkled all through the center of the course. Moderately than design the course across the bushes, the organizers threw some pads on these dangerous boys and we’re good to go.
Heading again west alongside the river, a set of 4 rows of hay bales. They stack as much as round two ft — decrease than a steeple barrier — however I’d count on most athletes to weave out and in as they did with the tires final yr in Bathurst, moderately than going up and over.
As is now turning into custom, there’s a dust patch of about 15 meters that might be flooded on race day to create a mud pit. That’s about as gnarly because the footing will get on Saturday.
Previous the mud pit, there’s a hairpin flip that’s speculated to function a DJ spinning tunes on Saturday (although there was no signal of them right this moment). After that, there are extra bushes to dodge — these ones a lot youthful. I used to be informed that these bushes are new additions to the park and weren’t initially meant to be on the course. They simply occurred to be planted on the realm used for the course. Voila, one other impediment for the runners.
This part would really look very cool just a few years from now as soon as the bushes are grown and in bloom. However that is what it’s going to appear like on Saturday:
This a part of the course additionally runs parallel to the Palace of Serbia, a powerful constructing that’s dwelling to quite a lot of authorities workplaces in addition to a tremendous artwork assortment.
Crest this blue hill and also you’re again to the beginning of the loop. The primary 4 instances, athletes will flip left and repeat the loop. The ultimate time, they’ll head straight, the place there’s nothing however flat floor between them and the end line.
The beginning/end line was nonetheless beneath development on Thursday however must be good to go by race day. Within the background, you’ll be able to see the “Everlasting Flame” monument — devoted to the casualties of the 1999 NATO bombing in what was then Yugoslavia.
That’s it from Belgrade right this moment. I’m engaged on about two hours’ sleep and am headed to mattress quickly, however examine again on LetsRun.com the remainder of the week for extra protection from Serbia. I’ll be on the course Friday morning to attempt to speak to some athletes earlier than heading to the press convention Friday afternoon. Then on race day we’ll have post-race evaluation, interviews, and a dwell post-race video present from Belgrade at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday. See you quickly!