Josh Kerr, Alicia Monson Headline Pro Fields For Rare Cross Country Event

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Professional distance groups from all over the country, and across the spectrum of shoe brands, will gather for a rare Dec. 1 showcase in Austin, Texas. 

The FitnessBank Cross Champs, held for the first time last year at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif., are now slotted into Austin's annual Running Event trade show. 

Professional runners will have a chance to run in a team event and the training groups will get a chance to see how they measure up against other groups. 

The men's 8-kilometer race begins at 4:30 p.m. Central time at St. Stephen's High School. The women's 8-kilometer race follows at 5 p.m.

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Thirteeen training groups are represented in the entries. 

Middle distance star Josh Kerr of Great Britain will lead the Brooks Beasts team.

Kerr, who was fifth at the World Athletics Championships in the 1,500 meters last summer, last competed in a cross country event six years ago, at the 2016 European Championships. 

It's a step up in distance for Kerr, but he will be in a field that includes On Athletics Club standouts Ollie Hoare (Australia), Morgan McDonald (Australia) and Joe Klecker (United States). 

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Alicia Monson of On Athletics Club is the reigning U.S. cross country champion and was 13th in the World Championships 10,000 meters over the summer. 

First-year pro Courtney Wayment, representing Taylor Made Elite, was a member of the U.S. team in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the World Championships. Allie Buchalski from Brooks Beasts, who won last year's 10K race at Mt. SAC, is also in the field, along with Emily Infeld (Nike) and Natosha Rogers (Hanson's Brooks ODP).

"Team cross country allows these professionals the rare opportunity to run as a team," Kevin Hanson, coach of the Hanson's Brooks ODP said. "Our sport needs to give fans the ability to follow teams, build allegiances and hopefully Cross Champs will be that culminating moment each year."

The course is a 1-mile loop around the athletic complex at the school. 

Competing teams include HOKA NAZ Elite, McKirdy Trained, Puma Elite, Altra Roots Running, Tinman Elite, On Athletics Club, Empire Elite Track Club, Brooks Beasts Track Club, U.S. Army, Railroad Athletics, Taylor Made Athletics, Bowerman Track Club and Hansons-Brooks ODP.