The Eugene Marathon, held annually every spring, will be the presenting sponsor of the 2009 Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships.
2009 CCC XC Title Sponsor: Eugene Marathon
PORTLAND, Ore. – The
Eugene Marathon, an annual spring event held in one of the country’s most renowned running communities, will be the presenting sponsor of the 2009 Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships.
The CCC Championships, featuring NAIA student-athletes from Oregon, Washington and Idaho, are slated for Saturday, Nov. 7 at historic Dorris Ranch in Springfield, Ore. The meet, which will feature an 8K men’s race and 5K women’s race, will be hosted for the first time by CCC member Northwest Christian University, which is located in nearby Eugene.
“We are delighted to partner with the organizers of the Eugene Marathon as we bring a premier small-college event to the Eugene-Springfield area,” said CCC commissioner Dave Haglund. “The Eugene Marathon is an emerging presence on the regional and national running scene, and its support of our event will help ensure a quality championship experience for more than 200 deserving college student-athletes.”
Said Richard Maher, race director for the Eugene Marathon: “We are thrilled to sponsor the 2009 Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships. Hosting the championships is an opportunity to highlight Eugene’s enthusiasm for distance running to the standout cross country athletes and their families from around the region.”
Added Heike McNeil, cross country coach at Northwest Christian: “NCU is especially excited and appreciative to have the support of the Eugene Marathon for this championship event. Community support is extremely important to our young cross country and track programs at Northwest Christian, and having the backing of the Eugene Marathon is critical to our future success.”
The CCC Championships will mark the final regular season event before the NAIA Cross Country Championships Nov. 21 in Vancouver, Wash. The men’s and women’s CCC team champions will earn automatic berths to the national meet, which will be staged at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. The national championships are being co-hosted by the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Concordia University-Portland.
Established in 2007, the Eugene Marathon is the first major marathon to be held in Eugene since 1982. Registration is now open for the 2010 event at
www.eugenemarathon.com. Events connected to the Eugene Marathon will be held April 30-May 2 and include a marathon, half marathon, kids’ marathon and 5K race.