Fast Track and Scottishathletics - the governing body for athletics in Scotland, are brokering the commercial deals and are still in talks to secure a title sponsor for the event, which will also include title rights to Saturday’s Young Athletes’ Relays and the Sunday morning mass participation 5k race.
Edinburgh will play host to a record number of entrants (currently 72) from every continent – and a crowd of up to 10,000 - in the weekend’s showcase event, shown live in thby BBC television.
Gordon Hood, Marketing Manager, scottishathletics said: “We are delighted to have this fantastic support from the business community and are thrilled to welcome these partners to the growing sponsor family. The IAAF World Cross Country Championships 2008 are a massive coup for scottishathletics, but without this backing we would be unable to put on what we hope will be the best ever Championships in the event’s history.”
Marc Hope, Director of Rights Marketing at Fast Track said: “We are very proud to be able to announce five such exciting names to support the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships. They will play a special role in ensuring the Championships are both a huge success and leave a lasting legacy in an Olympic year which marks the four year countdown to London 2012 - and - as we all cross our fingers for the official announcement on November 9th – the countdown to the Commonwealth Games in - hopefully - Glasgow, in 2014.
“We are in advanced conversations with other potential partners at this time, and the opportunity remains to join the increasingly impressive list of commercial partners and to become involved in this high profile, world class event – where we hope we will see a victorious return for Paula Radcliffe.”
Edinburgh staged the European Cross Country Championships at the Holyrood Park venue in 2003, an event which is still widely regarded as being the best ever in the 20 year history of that event. This helped to create a lasting legacy for cross country running in this country.
