World Cross Country: massive attendance

Uganda's prayers of a hugely attended IAAF World Cross Country Championships have been answered after 66 countries confirmed participation in the March 26 event, due at Kololo Airstrip.
 
Initially, the one-day affair was expected to attract 51 countries, which was still impressive given the same number attended the previous edition in Guiyang, China. But the IAAF has revealed that the final list of participants in the Kampala Championships will be much higher.
 
It, among other things, calls for an adjustment in the plans of the local organising committee (LOC), which is in charge of transport, accommodation, security and so on.
 
Australia and Canada will be the first teams to arrive in Uganda, with the latter expected on March 20 and the former two days later.
 
"Those countries that have longer flights always arrive early so that they recover ahead of the event," explained LOC secretary Beatrice Ayikoru. "We are ready for the event and all parties are doing everything possible to ensure that the event is a success. We are here to offer people the best experience of Uganda."
 
By "best experience" Ayikoru is alluding to everything off the running course that visitors will find on their visit.
 
USA, Great Britain, Netherlands, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Eritrea, Iraq, China and Japan are some of the other countries who have confirmed participation in the elite championships for cross country running. Monday was the closure of registration.