The world’s biggest winter outdoor athletics event will be held in Jordan on March 28th 2009, when the Kingdom hosts the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Nearly 1,000 athletes and officials from 70 countries will compete for nearly US$300,000 of prize money with world record breakers, Olympic medalists and top-class juniors all heading to Amman next year.

The event is the latest in a burgeoning portfolio of world class events that Jordan has hosted, and which the championship patron, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, expects it to further position the Kingdom as a leading sporting, leisure and business destination.

“We are delighted that the IAAF has selected us to host this prestigious event and, just like previous international federations have found out, we will not let the athletics world down,” said HRH Prince Feisal, President of the Jordan Olympic Committee.

“We have proved ourselves capable of hosting major world championships and we will deliver something special and unique next March. Not only do we encourage athletes and coaches to attend but also their family members, friends, spectators and anyone else wanting to discover why Jordan has become one of the most desirable destinations of the 21st Century.”

The 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the sixth major global sporting event to be held in Jordan over the last three years. Earlier this year, it hosted the FIA World Rally Championship and previously snooker, triathlon and fencing have all held their world championships on Jordan’s shores.