Maureen de St. Croix will be one of a number of South Surrey runners competing at Canadian cross-country championships this weekend.

Maureen de St. Croix will be one of a number of South Surrey runners competing at Canadian cross-country championships this weekend.

Runners set for cross-country championships

South Surrey, White Rock runners to compete at Canadian championships this weekend at Vancouver's Jericho Beach.

A handful of South Surrey and White Rock trail runners will be taking on the best in the country this weekend, at Canadian cross-country championships.

The national event, which is co-hosted by South Surrey’s Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club, is set for Saturday at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach, and will feature a slew of local talent.

Among those slated to compete are Trinity Western University’s Blair Johnston, a White Rock Christian Academy alum; UBC runner and Elgin Park grad Luc Bruchet, who is coming off a third-place finish at NAIA championships in Washington last weekend and is a contender for a Team Canada spot; and fellow UBC runner, and Semiahmoo Secondary grad, Jack Williams, who will run in the junior men’s race.

Ocean Athletics coach/runner Maureen de St. Croix will also compete in the masters division, while Ocean Athletics member Peggy Noel, who runs for Simon Fraser University, will also take part.

The one-day cross-country event will begin with the eight-km masters men’s and women’s championships at 10 a.m., followed by the five-km junior women’s race at 11:15 a.m., children’s one-km race at noon, junior men’s eight-km race at 12:15 p.m.; community/open five-km race at 1 p.m., seven-km senior women’s championship at 1:45 p.m. and 10-km senior men at 2:30 p.m.

For more info, visit www.xcountry.athletics.ca

Peace Arch News