Minister with responsibility for sports, Natalie Neita-Headley (second left), with (from left) Alfred Francis, chairman, Local Organising Committee, 2013 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championships, George Peryer, NACAC general secretary, and Dr Warren Blake, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, at yesterday's launch of the championships at the Altamont Court Hotel, New Kingston. Neita-Headley was the guest speaker. The championships are scheduled for January 26 at the Manchester Golf Club in Mandeville. - Contributed

Jamaica is known as the sprint capital of the world.

However, focus this weekend will turn to distance running, as the country will for the first time host the North America, Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships in Mandeville this Saturday.

The championships will include four events: the 4K junior women, which will run off at 2:15 p.m., the 6K junior men at 3 p.m., the 6K women at 3:45 p.m. and the 8K men at 4:30 p.m.

More than 150 athletes representing eight countries are expected to converge on the Manchester Golf Club for the battle of endurance.

Hosts Jamaica and Canada are the only two countries set to field the maximum 24 participants per team. There will be 20 athletes from the USA, 14 from Puerto Rico and 11 from Bermuda, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago. Aruba and The Bahamas are late entrants and will both be sending teams.

NACAC general secretary, George Peryer, explained why the championship - which originated in the United States in 2005 where it was held annually until 2009 when it was moved to Trinidad and Tobago - has now made its way to Jamaica for its ninth staging.

Agreement

"I went to Trinidad the last time they had it (championship) and they had it for more than once, so they said we had to find somewhere else to have it now," Peryer said, following yesterday's media launch at the Altamont Court Hotel. "So I suggested it to Teddy McCook (NACAC president) and he agreed and I went to the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) and got their agreement to do it and they gave us Alfred Francis and we formed an LOC (Local Organising Committee)."

Minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with

responsibility for sports, Natalie Neita-Headley, believes that a meet of this magnitude will help to turn some of the spotlight on distance running.

"A meet like this one is going to promote and bring some of the glamour of track and field to not just sprinting, but to middle distance and long distance running," Neita-Headley expressed. "It is something that we (the Government) endorse and as a Government we are certainly looking forward to ensuring that 2016 (next Olympics) will see quite a number of our athletes being involved in the middle and long distance running and more field events."

President JAAA, Dr Warren Blake, is delighted that Jamaica will be hosting the championships. "Part of the thrust of the new JAAA administration is to enhance distance running in Jamaica, so this really fits in with our philosophy of going forward," Blake shared.

Francis, chairman of the local organising committee, has given the assurance that everything will be in place to ensure a top quality meet.

"This is the highest standard cross country championships to be staged in Jamaica," Francis highlighted. "We are working very hard and our national trials provided a good experience going into this event, and I think we did well at our trials.

"Our athletes are preparing and they have been to the venue on several occasions and ran on it, so they have home advantage, and I know they want to do well."

Jamaica's team will include the likes of Tanice Barnett, Stephanie Barrett, Rushae Burrell, Danielle James, Damion Bent, Ainsworth Daley, Romar Mundle and Wayne Beckford.