Erin Hill
editor@prioritynews.net
Tallahassee is preparing for a surge of visitors as the World Athletics Cross Country Championships head to Apalachee Regional Park the weekend of Jan. 10, 2026.
Local officials say the event will be one of the largest sports gatherings the area has ever hosted. More than 1,200 athletes, staff members, and volunteers are expected to arrive in Leon County for the competition. Tourism officials anticipate thousands of additional spectators—both local residents and travelers—will fill the park to watch the world-class races.
To set the tone, the county has rolled out a vibrant event logo and begun promoting the championship as a signature moment for the region.
Organizers also unveiled the event’s official medal, a symbolic design created by Florida State University Athletics Hall of Famer and 2008 U.S. Olympian Rafeeq Curry. Curry said he drew from Florida’s landscape and the cultural history of the Tallahassee area, incorporating engraved lines that mirror rivers and rolling hills, sunrays that highlight the Sunshine State, and an arrowhead pattern honoring the Apalachee people. The centerpiece features the WXC Tallahassee 26 logo, and wave designs along the base represent the state’s coastal and freshwater geography. The ribbon continues the theme with a flowing gradient and a rising sun—an ode to early race mornings and the energy of competition.
Preparations are already underway at Apalachee Regional Park, where crews are focused on readying the course and developing plans to manage heavy traffic throughout the weekend.
This year’s championship marks the first time in more than three decades that the event returns to the United States. With broadcast coverage planned in more than 70 countries, Tallahassee is poised to receive international attention for its natural beauty, culture, and hospitality as the world’s top runners take the stage.
