The World Cross Country (WXC) Championships is set to take place for the first time ever in Australia come February 17, and Bathurst has been selected to play host.

To help the event run smoothly, 450 volunteers were needed to lend a hand, and WXC Bathurst 23 general manager Richard Welsh said the community has been a great support by jumping on-board.

Now he wants to encourage everyone else to show their support by turning up over the championships weekend to enjoy the action.

"We're really pleased to say that we've hit our quota in volunteers, we've got 450 people that have put up their hand to volunteer and we're really thrilled with that," Mr Welsh said

"We no longer need any volunteers, but we don't have a cap on tickets and we don't have a cap on entry, so people can participate and spectate.

"We are here for a month or so before the World Cross Country Championships just to integrate with the community and spread the word that we've got the world's best distance runners here and we hope people are interested in our event."

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While Mr Welsh is delighted at the way the Bathurst community has rallied to provide volunteers, he's also encouraging people to take part in the event itself.

As he explains, people of all ages and abilities have an opportunity to get a taste of what the elite runners will tackle at the Mount.

"We've got about 40 events that people can participate in across the three days, they vary from 800 metres through to 10 kilometres so there's absolutely opportunity for people to run and indeed walk the course, so it is for everyone," Mr Welsh said.

"If people are unsure what to do, the hot laps on the Friday afternoon are ideal. They can just turn up, it's not a race, the chip starts when you start, it's like a time trial and you can go as fast or as slow as you want and can see the course and what it is like before the World Championships the next day."

The event will run from February 17 to 19, with 521 of the world's best long-distance runners from 68 different countries descending upon Bathurst.

The event will also feature giant games for kids, food vendors, expos, sponsored merchandise and more.

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