Bathurst adds hosting rights of World Masters Athletics Short Course Cross Country Championships to World Athletics Cross Country Championships

And while Mount Panorama is intrinsically linked with motor sport, the ground-breaking event won't be about horse power.

It will be an epic double cross country event.

It was revealed this week that along with Mount Panorama hosting the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, it will also host World Masters Athletics Short Course Cross Country Championships on the same course.

The historic agreement for Bathurst to host both events means masters aged (35 years and over) cross country runners will now do battle in individual and relay events at Mount Panorama from February 18-19.

As joint race director of the highly successful Mount Panorama Punish, Jenn Arnold knows how much of a lure the iconic circuit is.

The Bathurst runner was thrilled to hear the Mount will now be hosting two world championship events.

"It's a great use of a fantastic venue at Mount Panorama that is a different use, it's not what it's normally used for," she said.

"That's why the Mount Panorama Punish, when we get to run around the Mount, is a novelty, it's something completely different to what people are used to.

"Being able to use Mount Panorama as a cross country venue is out of left field and it's a great facility they're going to get use of up there."

The chance to run on the same circuit used for motor sport events such as the Bathurst 1000 saw this year's edition of the Mount Panorama Punish attract 962 starters.

That was a record for the fifth edition of the punish, but when it comes to next February the numbers will be on a whole different scale.

More than 5,000 participants, from grassroots athletes to the elite, are expected take on the course on the slopes of Mount Panorama.

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On top of that, Arnold says the program will showcase Bathurst to a huge global audience.

"So the Bathurst 1000 is I think broadcast to nine million people but the World Cross Country Championships is going to be broadcast to 23 million," she said.

"That's how big cross country is around the world. It's not as big in Australia, but cross country around the world is absolutely huge.

"So to get it held here in Bathurst is an absolute coup. We'll have the world's best here running for it and to now have world masters, those age groups, it's just fantastic."

The masters event will see team relays across five age groups staged on Saturday. One male runner will combine with two female runners in each team that tackles a four kilometre course.

That will be followed on Sunday by the individual age championships. Those that fall in the 35-69 years bracket will battle it out over 6km, while the 70+ runners face a 4km course.

World Masters Athletics president Margit Jungmann was delighted to see the union and says it will be a "uniquely memorable event".

"We are excited to offer this new opportunity for masters athletes around the world to come together and celebrate their love of running and competition, and to join with the best cross country runners in the world to test themselves on the scenic Mount Panorama course at Bathurst in Australia," she said.

As for 11-time world cross-country representative and Bathurst World Athletics Cross Country Championships LOC director Steve Moneghetti, he can't wait to see the racing at the Mount.

"We're incredibly excited to welcome masters' athletes to the WXC Bathurst 23," he said.

"We have such passionate runners of all ages and abilities from across the world coming along and together, we can prove that our sport really does cater to everyone.

"So many runners across the world begin their sporting journeys in cross country at school and it's fantastic to see that there is still appetite for the discipline in older age groups.

"[I] look forward to seeing everyone doing what they love against the backdrop of Mount Panorama."

The World Athletics Cross Country Championships will take place at Mount Panorama from February 17-19 next year.

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