EXCLUSIVE: Innovative plans detailed by Aarhus 2019 organisers to get cross country back at Olympics!!

The Danish city was awarded the rights to host the 2019 edition following an audio visual presentation which included proposals for supporting races for 2,000 school children and a mass race which is expected to attract 8,000 runners.

Jakob Larsen, director of the Danish Athletic Federation, has told insidethegames that they hope the event will help the race discipline get back on the Olympic programme.

Cross country has featured at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Games in Stockholm, Antwerp and Paris respectively before being removed from the Olympics.

The last time it was held at the Olympics, most of the field dropped out in ferociously hot conditions.

He added that the proposed topics of discussion for Aarhus 2019 include dispensation from current rules regarding lap/loop lengths and the integration of mass participation in championship races.

Also set to be looked at are the integration of school Olympic cross country finals, introducing challenge zones and a relay with two separate loops to help make mass participation possible.

“On the subject of the course, we hope for approval for an alternative course layout in order to enable thousands of recreational runners to run with the elite – as is the case in road running,” he added.

Larsen added that a course provoking renewed interest with revived and innovative "challenge zones" for the runners would play a vital part in the successful presentation of the event to the IOC and wider world.

“Which way we will go depends on the discussions with the IAAF, our internal workshops and discussions with other stakeholders.

“Should we go ‘Old School’ or should we go ‘American Ninja Warrior’ so to speak?

“For now, we would prefer a combination.

“We propose introduction of challenging course elements located in “Challenge zones”; some based on well-known elements of “Old School” cross country, others inspired by cyclo cross, XC eventing and OCR [Obstacle Course Runs].

“All are to be delivered with respect to cross country as a running event.”

The course proposal has a total of approximately 60 metres ascent on each lap – far greater than the course about to be run on within the Kololo Independence Ground in Kampala – and there are plans to create events within the event.

There may be a series of five “natural” constructed obstacles on each lap, which would have individual names such as The Kenenisa Climb, the Lynn Jennings Log Slope or Muddy Mayhem.

“The ambition is to present cross country in a way that will make such an impression on TV that the IOC will feel compelled to include Cross Country on the Olympic Programme,” Larsen added.

In a memo written to the Danish Olympic Committee on December 1 after the IAAF had confirmed Aarhus's hosting of the 2019, Larsen relayed some of the comments that had been made by Sebastian Coe, the IAAF President, during the presentation.

These comments from Coe included that cross country was "dear" to the two-time Olympic gold medallist and that it is "no secret" that he would like to it back on the Olympic programme.

In recent years, cross country has often been promoted by referring to it as ‘the optimal training means’ for distance runners.

“As promotion this doesn’t work – who wants to be a world champion in a training exercise?

“Cross Country is big, it is tough, and it is running in its purest form.

“We will address this in our communication – cross country is not a means, it is a statement.

n 2008, runners Haile Gebrselassie, Paul Tergat and Kenenisa Bekele wrote an open letter to the then International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge, urging him to consider reinstatement of the sport.

The IAAF has since supported the idea of including the sport at the Winter Olympics.

Oh please let this be a thing wrote:

Personally, I think it would be really great if they would add Cross Country running to the Winter Olympics. For one, it would give some of the African nations a fantastic opportunity to compete at, and be represented in, the Winter Olympics.

Cross Country running could maybe have 2 (or 3 distances) - a short course (6-8km) and a long course (12-15km) - along with maybe 2 relays - I'd like to see something along the lines of 4x 5km and maybe something that's mixed - a team made up of 2 male & 2 female runners. For the third possible race, maybe they could feature a 3km "sprint".

Of course, in true XC fashion, countries could enter a full team, or just a couple high quality individuals. I would also not be opposed to some obstacles scattered throughout the course - a creek crossing, small stone wall to hurdle, a few haybales - along with ditches, rolling hills, some switchbacks, and at least one fairly steep climb.