A star-studded relay led by Newcastle’s Jessica Hull will spearhead Australia’s hopes at the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships this weekend.
And, the team of 28 is ready to shake things up in Tallahassee, Florida, on Saturday 10 January.
Following in the footsteps of Australian greats Benita Willis and Steve Moneghetti, the contingent will arrive at Apalachee Regional Park where they’ll meet premier distance runners in the sport’s purest form of racing.
The nation’s mixed 4x2km squad of Hull, Oliver Hoare (NSW), Linden Hall (VIC) and Jack Anstey (QLD) are expected to kick off proceedings in the first race of the day.
They’re rated highly in the medal conversation among the favourites for the world title, with Australia winning bronze at the 2023 edition on home soil in Bathurst.
A master of all terrains as a medallist at the Olympic Games, World Indoor Championships and World Cross Country Championships, Hull will look to build on her record on the international stage.
Awaiting the Australian quartet are the global powerhouses of Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda among 15 teams.
“We are lining up to win,” Hull said.
“Other people are talking about our team which gives you confidence that it’s not just us that think we are in with a genuine shot.”
On the individual front, Willis stands alone as the only Australian to win a medal in the discipline with her famous victory in 2004.
But, the 2026 Australian line-ups post enough depth to challenge for team honours in the men’s and women’s 10km events – led by Ky Robinson (QLD) and Lauren Ryan (VIC).
Winning the Australian 10,000m title at Zatopek:10 in December, the latter also returns to familiar soil as another graduate of Florida State University, with a top 10 finish to her name over 10,000m at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
“I feel like I’m a great place training-wise right now,” she said.
“I’ve been putting in a lot of great work.
“Cross country is a little different to the track, especially with all the obstacles, which I think adds some excitement to the race.
“Success for me would be finishing top 15.
“There will be a lot of familiar faces around the course, with a bunch of my friends making the trip out to watch.
“I’d like to think I know this course pretty well, which is a huge advantage come race day.”
A World Indoor bronze medallist and fresh off a fourth place finish over 5,000m at the World Championships, Robinson is making his mark on the global distance running scene at 23-years-old, also no stranger to cross country as the first Australian man across the line in Bathurst with 23rd place.
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