BUDDING Mount Gambier athletes Jacob Salmon and Harrison Ellis will test themselves in the 2018 Australian Cross-Country Championships at the Sunshine Coast’s Maleny Golf Club this weekend.
The two runners were selected for their age groups as part of the South Australian state team and will compete against the nation’s best young runners.
Salmon, who is 11-years-old, will run a 3km distance against 42 others aged from 10 to 12.
He was selected for the team after competing in a state selection event.
“I had to do a regional cross-country day in Naracoorte and I came first,” he said.
“Then there was a state selection at a place called Oakbank racecourse and I came third.”
That qualified Salmon for the state team and he said he is excited to return to the event after also competing last year.
“I am very excited about it and a little bit nervous,” he said.
“I made it in last year as well so I will know what’s going on.”
For Ellis, the nine-year-old is in the 10-year-old boys state team and will compete against 41 runners in his age group over a 2km distance.
He was selected for the team after an impressive result in Adelaide earlier in the year.
“I was chosen for the team by running and getting second for cross country in Adelaide,” he said.
“Then I automatically qualified for the state team.”
Both boys have competed in cross-country for a few years now and enjoy the sport for its competitiveness.
“I have been doing cross-country since I was seven, because you have to be turning eight to race,” Ellis said.
“I like to run and I have always done Parkrun.”
It is a similar story for Salmon, who started cross-country in Year 3 at school.
“I like that it’s just so hard and I like to be competitive and I can run with the friends I have made doing cross country,” he said.
Salmon and Ellis were both expected to complete their runs this morning.
