Bathurst ready to host 2022 World Cross-Country Championships

But the global epidemic ended those hopes as well as ensuring a further postponement in early 2022.

Perhaps there is statistical sunshine in such matters though - because hopefully third time lucky the next edition will mark half a century since the first in 1973 in Waregem, Belgium.

Regarded as the toughest competition in world athletics, the championships are usually conducted in the deep winter months of the northern half of the globe and on many occasions at horse racing venues - to maximise viewing opportunities for the fans.

By contrast Australia will host the competition, mid-summer, on February18 next year at Bathurst - within the bounds of one of the most famous motor racing courses in the world.

That will be different - even the second edition at Monza in Italy was staged on a horse-racing track.

But it too will be pretty accommodating for the spectators - which is important for any international event drawn to Australia.

Destination New South Wales has invested big in sports events with the World Road Cycling Championships and the Women's Basketball World Cup in Wollongong and Sydney in the last two weeks alone.

This decade leading up to the Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics in 2032 is surely going to be a bonanza for Australian sporting fans and for drawing their overseas counterparts to this country.

So, what is the world cross-country?

It's had a few iterations in terms of content over its 50 years, but right now there are senior men's and women's races - each over 10,000 metres - and under-20 events for each sex over slightly shorter distances.

For a time, there were long and short course races for the open athletes but the opportunity for the middle-distance runners now comes in the form of a 4x2000 metres mixed relay - with two women and two men representing a single team for each country.

The whole international component will be done and dusted in just a few hours on a Saturday afternoon on a spectacular course full of iconic Australian features.

It will also, almost certainly, be in the blazing sun as compared with the gloomy skies, rain and snow that have often prevailed.

There are both individual and team medals up for grabs across the four long races scheduled.

The first eight editions of the men's senior teams' races were dominated by Europe, New Zealand and the United States, those nations taking all three spots on the podium until 1981.

However, none of them has won a title since.

That all changed in Madrid, Spain, in edition nine when, having never stood on the victory dais before, Ethiopia took gold with Kenya in third place. The two countries have, between them, won every men's team title since - until the last edition in 2019 - when Uganda usurped both in a memorable victory.

Non-African teams in women's competition fared better for a little longer, prevailing in all the contests for team gold up until 1991.

But with the exception of 1994 when Portugal surprised in Budapest, Hungary, it has been the same story as with the men with Kenya and Ethiopia sharing all the spoils.

A summer staging of the championships will do little to impact on the dominance of the East African nations - the top three now joined by Eritrea as a clear top four.

Weather seems to make no difference to their command of their craft in this discipline.

Nor will Bathurst's 650m in altitude - that only adds another factor in their favour - quite apart from the fact that it's unlikely that there will be much of a grass cover on the 2000 metres of each lap.

But it's the presence and supremacy of the Africans that makes the world cross-country unique in almost any world sporting event.

And every reason to load up the campervan and head on to Bathurst come February.

Not that there will be any lack of home talent. Australia is enjoying a special time in distance running and will be well prepared to feature competitively.