Selection Procedures

Events Being Contested

• Junior Women: 6 km
• Junior Men: 8 km
• Senior Women: 8 km
• Senior Men: 12 km

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a citizen of the United States and meet all other USATF and IAAF eligibility requirements
• Junior athletes must be under the age of 20, but at least 16 years of age on December 31, 2008 (born in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992)

Selection Procedures

1. Athletes who meet the eligibility requirements will select themselves onto Team USA for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships via descending order of finish in the relevant event at the 2008 USA Cross Country Championships (hereafter known as the "selection event").
2. Athletes must commit to a spot on Team USA no later than the Wednesday following the selection race or they will forfeit their place on that squad.
3. If an athlete declines a spot on Team USA (or fails to commit as per #2 above), that spot will be offered to the next finisher in the relevant race at the selection event until the team is filled.
4. Team Size: The IAAF currently permits each nation to enter nine (9) athletes in the senior men's race and six (6) athletes in the senior women's, junior men's, and junior women's races.
   1. Team USA will field a full squad as long as all team members finish in the top 12 (top 15 for the senior men) at the selection event.
   2. If a particular Team USA squad is not filled by the top 12 (top 15 for the senior men) finishers at the selection event, then athletes will only be added to fill the squad size to one (1) athlete more than the number of scorers in that event at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships (6 senior men; 4 senior women, junior men, and junior women).
   3. In the event that a particular Team USA squad is not filled by the top 12 (top 15 for the senior men) finishers at the selection event, athletes who competed in the selection event and have recorded a performance exceeding the most recent World Outdoor Championships or Olympic Games "B" standard in the steeplechase, 5000m, or 10,000m during the 12 months prior to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships will select themselves in the order in which they finished at the selection event.
5. Alternates: Alternates will select themselves following the above procedures and be named to the team if a drop-out occurs prior to a final date set by the Cross Country Council chair in consultation with the Associate Director of National Teams.
6. Alteration: USATF reserves the right, based on consultation with the USOC and the State Department, to alter the conditions of travel for this team trip or to cancel the trip if conditions in the host country warrant.