The Seventh Annual Wayland XC Festival, presented by the Baldwin Insurance Agency, will be held on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012 at Wayland High School. The main purpose of this cross-country running event is to promote fitness in children and adults. Proceeds of the race will benefit the Wayland High School cross-country teams. This is a USATF-sanctioned event.

The Wayland High School cross-country team will be on hand to help to keep things running smoothly. 

“The Wayland XC Festival is a great community event," said race director Eric Bucher. "It provides the opportunity for the athletes on the high school cross-country team to give back to the community. These kids are ambassadors for their sport and this event helps to promote fitness and the joy of running."

The event includes three races – a three kilometer (1.86 miles) race for ages 11 to 14, a three kilometer race for ages 10 and under and an open five kilometer (3.1 miles) race. This annual event continues to grow every year. This year the Wayland XC Festival is expected to host 400 participants from Wayland and surrounding towns.

The varied terrain of the cross-country course, traveling through fields and wooded trails, makes for challenging and exciting races. Unlike most road races, the venue for the Wayland XC Festival allows spectators terrific vantage points to see competitors throughout large portions of the races.

Another important distinction of the Wayland XC Festival is its focus on youth athletes. Kids have their own 3K races. The youth races are for ages 14 and under and include the following classes: 8 and under, 9 – 10, 11 – 12, and 13 – 14. Trophies will be awarded to the top three boys and girls in each class. The youth 3K races start at 9:30am.

The open 5K race starts at 11 a.m. Awards include free shoes from Inov-8® and gift certificates from Marathon Sports, The North Face and The Boston Running Company.

The pre-registration fee for the open 5K race is $10 and the youth 3K is $5.

"I am always impressed with the local businesses that are willing to provide financial support for the event," Bucher said. "We really could not do this without them. Baldwin Insurance Agency, Wayland Kitchens and Middlesex Savings Bank are our main supporters, and we also have a good number of other local businesses pitching in to help us put on a spectacular event. It is extremely fulfilling to work together with these great local companies to have an event like this in Wayland."

For more information and an entry form see the event website at www.waylandxc.com or call Bucher at 508-397-1261.