The announcement has been made and to no one’s surprise, the 2017 OCR World Championships will return to Blue Mountain, Canada on Oct 13-15.  For me personally, it means I have a second chance of buying the maple syrup I forgot this year!  While some may question why a WORLD championship race is in North America for the fourth straight year, it makes perfect sense to go back to Blue Mountain.  The resort venue was fantastic and hosting in the same place two years in a row is just logistically and financially smart.  Let the race mature in terms of both finances and visibility before subjecting it to other variables in the international market.  Everyone wants to see this event stay in business, correct?  Did you watch the official announcement video?  Now that you know the when and where, here are some more important facts that you might want to know.

  1. Don’t expect the race to be back in Canada or the US for several years. Europe? Australia? Antarctica?  “It’s our intention that this will be the last time the event is in North America for some time.” ~Adrian Bijanada.  Satisfied?
  2. Qualifications, especially for the pro waves, have become stricter to ensure overall quality.
  3. An expanded rule book will be available — no more studded shoe controversy.
  4. There will be age group prizes for the short courses.  Just how much money I will not win is yet to be determined.
  5. There will be different colored bands for each division so that athletes know who they’re racing against.
  6. This is the OCR Olympics.  Don’t miss out!

 

The official press release from OCR World Championships.