Major NCAA postseason cross country event will descend on Rock Hill, Winthrop
The best college running programs will soon descend on Rock Hill.
The NCAA announced that Winthrop University, in partnership with the Visit York County marketing group, will host the 2024 NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships. The event traditionally occurs about a week before the national championships, which are held every November — and it assembles the top Southeast men’s and women’s college programs in the country.
“We are proud to be recognized as a first-class organization that hosts and competes against some of the biggest names in college athletics,” Winthrop athletic director Chuck Rey said in a statement.
This will be the second time Winthrop will host the regional championship. The first time was in 2018, when the event brought approximately 600 athletes from more than 40 schools to York County, according to an event release.
The 2018 cross country regionals delivered an economic impact of $270,000, Visit York County director Andy Clinton told The Herald on Tuesday morning. The prestigious event is another notch in the belt for Rock Hill’s bustling sports tourism industry — one that has taken off in stature since the construction and opening of the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in 2020.
The race will be held at the Winthrop Farm Cross Country Course, a 10K course that wraps around Winthrop Lake near the Coliseum in Rock Hill.
This story was originally published July 26, 2022 at 11:21 AM.
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