East Lansing, MI to host 2017 NIRCA Cross Country National Championships
June 5th, 2017 (Updated: Nov 6th)
Premier Fall Event Headed to Michigan for the Third Time
BLOOMINGTON, IN - The National Intercollegiate Running Club Association (NIRCA) announced recently that its 2017 Cross Country National Championships will be held in East Lansing, MI on the campus of Michigan State University. Forest Akers Golf Course will be the site of college club running’s fall finale, with races taking place on Saturday, November 11th.
The 12th edition of NIRCA’s annual fall championship is anticipated to be the largest yet. Over 1,700 athletes competed in the 2016 event in Hershey, PA, continuing the strong growth each year since its 2006 inception. Activities for clubs, parents/supporters, and alumni will be planned throughout the weekend.
Michigan State’s Forest Akers Golf Course has a fantastic pedigree when it comes to high level cross country meets. The facility has hosted six Big Ten Cross Country Championships, just in 2012. Seven straight NCAA Div. I Championship meets were contested on the golf course from 1958-1964. MSU also holds the Spartan Invitational on the course each September, with over 6,000 runners competing from NCAA Div. I to middle school levels. The all-grass layout has rolling hills, smooth footing, and consists of two loops for both women and men. A spectator-friendly venue, Forest Akers promises to be a great arena for deciding NIRCA champions.
This isn’t the first time that NIRCA Cross Country Nationals have been in the Great Lakes State. Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti played host to the 2009 event, which coincidentally also saw harriers lacing up their spikes on the links - Ypsilanti’s Eagle Crest Golf Course. That event saw Penn State claim the women’s title, while Wisconsin was atop the podium on the men’s side. NIRCA was last in “The Mitten” in 2014, a triumphant year for clubs from the Big Ten, with Indiana University men nearly sweeping and the University of Michigan women easily topping the podium.
East Lansing, a vibrant college town ingrained with the MSU campus, is immediately adjacent to Lansing, MI. The latter is the State Capitol, Michigan’s 5th largest city, and home of the Capitol Region International Airport. Both cities offer a lot to do, as well as a plethora of hotel and food options for NIRCA clubs attending. Downtown Detroit and Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a major hub for many airlines, are also just over an hour drive away. Spectators, parents, and supporters are invited to take advantage of NIRCA partnerships and promotional rates for hotels and local attractions.
Further information on the 2017 NIRCA Cross Country National Championships will be released throughout the summer at www.clubrunning.org.
Stephanie Bartley, NIRCA