World XC Photo Essay: The Sights and Flavor of World Cross Aarhus 2019

By LetsRun.com
April 4, 2019

We’ve departed Aarhus, and while we had you covered over the weekend with our post-race analysis of the 2019 IAAF / Mikkeller World Cross Country Championships, there were a few things we didn’t manage to get to at the time.

Mainly: the scene. If you got up early to watch on Saturday morning, you may have gotten a sense of the atmosphere, but TV cameras can only catch so much. Walking around the course on race day, there was a buzz, a palpable feeling of excitement reverberating through the crowd. Part of the fun of World XC is showing off how far you traveled to get there; we saw flags from Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Canada, and Ethiopia (plenty of those!) waving around the course.

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World XC is a place where rivals can become friends. We saw a group of English fans — some from Oxford University, some from Cambridge — walking around the course in joyous harmony, choosing to be united by their love of cross country rather than divided by their school affiliation. When you’re far from home, anything familiar — even a rival’s colors — is reason for excitement.

There was a beer tent, a beer-dispensing firetruck, Vikings, and lots and lots of runners. Words alone do not do it justice. Fortunately, we have iPhones. Below, a selection of some of our favorite shots from an unforgettable weekend in Aarhus.

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Team LRC’s Kelsey Bruce couldn’t wait to preview the course on Thursday
2019 World XC mastermind Jakob Larsen (far left) and ace course measurer David Katz (middle)
Wejo liked the media shuttle bus
“We have to run through WHAT?”
The US’s Leonard Korir checks out the course map
Race Results Weekly’s David Monti shows off his swag
Two of Massachusetts’ (and the USA’s) finest distance runners: Shalane Flanagan & 3-time World XC champ Lynn Jennings
Team LRC’s Kelsey Bruce & Matt Crowe
Kazakhstan
The start/finish line
A shot showing the angle of “the roof” the runners had to try and run up
Eritrea in the house
O Canada!
With wins in the relay and men’s U20 race, Ethiopia had plenty to celebrate
Team GB had its supporters too
Not your typical athlete gathering area
Oxford and Cambridge fans unite
Yes, there were Vikings
The Viking village
Kenya’s world 1500 champ Elijah Manangoi battles Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi up the Moesgaard Museum roof in the mixed relay
The man, the myth, the legend: Jordan Mann
The view from inside the beer tent during the men’s U20 race
More beer tent interior
The beer setup outside the Runner’s Valhalla

Our beers were free thanks to this kind LRC visitor
World XC, beer in hand. What could be better?
US junior women
The scene from atop the museum roof
The roof was packed all day
Fans line the course on the museum roof
Jakob Ingebrigtsen was so exhausted after the men’s U20 race that he could not stand in the mixed zone
Oh yeah, there was some running too. Lead senior women climbing the roof.
Team USA’s Stephanie Bruce, Courtney Frerichs, and Sarah Pagano navigating the water splash
Women’s leaders
Stephanie Bruce rolling downhill
Team LRC’s Kelsey Bruce descending the museum roof
Cheptegei, Kamworor, & Kiplimo powering through the sand in the men’s senior race
Shadrack Kipchirchir led the US men with his 34th-place finish
Team USA’s Leonard Korir & Mason Ferlic with Jordan Mann cheering from the sidelines
Team LRC’s Matt Crowe descending the roof
Matt could only watch after he was pulled from the course
Matt still managed to crack a smile in the mixed zone
Senior men’s medalists Kiplimo, Cheptegei, and Kamworor
The champ
Thank you Aarhus!

 

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