Leon County selected to host NAIA Cross Country Championships
Visit Tallahassee photo
Special to the Outlook
Sports tourism in Leon County has gotten a major boost.
County officials last Thursday announce that Apalachee Regional Park has been selected as the venue for the 2022 and 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men’s and women’s Cross Country Championships. It will be the first time that the county will host the event.
“As part of the County’s ongoing commitment to grow our local sports tourism and host national events, we are proud to now welcome NAIA fans, coaches and student-athletes to Apalachee Regional Park,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor. “Hosting both the 2022 and 2025 NAIA Championships puts Tallahassee-Leon County on the map as a premiere destination for sports tourism and programming.”
The cross country course at Apalachee Regional Park is a 100-plus acre site known for hosting state and national championship events, including the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championships, Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) State Championships, United States Track and Field (USATF) Club, Junior and National Championships, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship, and this November, will host the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I National Championships.
“The County’s Apalachee Regional Park is a world-class facility that continues to drive sports tourism through national championships of every type,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long “Both NAIA events are expected to bring in nearly 4,000 coaches, athletes and spectators to Leon County, resulting in more than $2.5 million in economic impact.”
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, the NAIA is a governing body of small athletics programs that are dedicated to character-driven intercollegiate athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has administered programs dedicated to championships in balance with the overall college educational experience.
Each year more than 77,000 NAIA student-athletes have the opportunity to play college sports, earn over $800 million in scholarships, and compete for a chance to participate in 27 national championships.
“We are delighted that Apalachee Regional Park continues to draw prestigious sporting events from across the country while also standing out as a year-round recreation area in our community,” said Kerri L. Post, Director of Leon County Division of Tourism. “It is a testament to the Division of Tourism sports team, who continue to dream big and work tirelessly to secure sporting events that drive economic impact for our community.”
Apalachee Regional Park is a multi-use venue that is one of the nation’s few sites designed specifically for cross-country running. The various course and distance options and recent improvements to the park allow Leon County to host thousands of runners and visitors for some of the nation’s largest sporting events. When the cross-country trail is not being used for a running event, it is open to the general public for hiking, running and biking.
“We are thrilled to host our upcoming 2022 and 2025 Championships in Leon County and provide our teams with the experience to run one of the best cross-country courses in the nation,” said Austin Bennett, NAIA Director of Championships.
