Athletics Canada 2021 XC Championships

The infamous ditch that stole shoes, tripped competitors, and tested every runner on the day.

Saturday November 27, 2021. -10°C, windy

The first year for the Canadian National Cross Country Championships arrived in Ottawa, and it did not disappoint. It was chilly and windy, but the skies were blue and the course was fairly flat… well… except for that one ditch. The ditch was a lightning rod of action and drama as we witnessed numerous runners fail to properly navigate the water hazard. Competitors toppled over competitors, and shoes were sucked right off the feet of runners. One shoe could not be found for the better part of a race, forcing a competitor to finish in one sock foot on the frozen course.

All-in-all, the day was a tremendous event with several hundred participants and as many spectators. Race results can be found here on SportStats.

Photo galleries can be found, below. This year, our team has added to the still photography from the races. We put a drone in the air and captured much of the day both in stills and video. Check back to the following photo galleries as we continue to add more images. Links to video hi-lights on the day are also coming…