In anticipation of the University of Missouri hosting the NCAA’s Division I cross country championships this weekend, Columbia’s business and tourism leaders are bracing for more visitors than usual.
The contest, which will be held at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in south Columbia, is anticipated to have a significant economic impact on local establishments.
The event is expected to bring $1.2 million in revenue, said Megan McConachie, the communications and outreach supervisor for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. Nearly 2,400 tickets to the event had been sold as of Thursday morning, she said.
Mizzou will host the Division I men’s and women’s championships Saturday.
This weekend will mark the first time that Columbia has hosted the event, though it has hosted similar ones in the past, McConachie said.
“We have hosted a number of high-profile cross country events,” McConachie said. “We did a (NCAA Midwest Regional Championship) here in Columbia in 2022, but this is going to be about twice the size of that. We also hosted the NAIA National Championships last year, and this will be pretty comparable to that.”
Hotels, businesses and restaurants alike are preparing to host more foot traffic than normal this weekend, she added.
“When we have a big influx with an event like this, hotel occupancy definitely is going to be very high,” McConachie said.
Restaurants are also preparing for more business this weekend, expecting fans, runners and their families to dine local.
Richard Walls, the owner of The Heidelberg and president of the mid-Missouri chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association, says his establishment is arranging to support a significant amount of extra customers in the coming days.
“I think we’ll see, regionally, an influx of 5,000 to 10,000 people,” Walls said. “We’re just making sure we’re staffed for the weekend and have enough food.”
Walls said he anticipates the event helping the broader community.
“The good news is it brings a lot of people in from out of town. We’re just looking forward to hosting another world-class event in Columbia,” he said.
According to previous Missourian reporting, Mizzou track and field coach Brett Halter is hoping a historic amount of people attend the event this weekend.
“Our goal is to attract over 10,000 spectators,” Halter said in an interview with the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. “Audacious, yes, but we believe we can draw upon our centrally located and easily accessible community to hit that goal for the student-athletes who qualify for the championship.”
