Some 1,850 athletes, coaches, and spectators will visit Clarksville on Saturday, October 5 for the Class A and AA Boys and Girls Cross Country TMSAA State Championships.

Armed with tents, coolers and plenty of water, family members will cheer runners along a two-mile course along the site of the former Eastland Green Golf Course, 550 Clubhouse Lane. The Montgomery County Budget Committee recently approved the purchase of the almost 58-acre course, which will be converted to a community park in Sango that will become known as Weakley Park.

“Recruiting and hosting sports events continues to be a priority for us,” says Visit Clarksville Chairman Kyle Luther. “Clarksville offers first-class venues for a gamut of events, we’re centrally located and easily accessible within the state, and we have plenty of hotel rooms and restaurant options to accommodate guests. This, along with our exceptional reputation for customer service, makes Clarksville a sought-after destination for athletic competitions.”

This year marks the fifth year that Clarksville will host the cross country state championships. Visit Clarksville officials estimate that visitor spending surrounding the event this year will total $568,000.

“We could not hold this event in Clarksville without the hard work and dedication from the APSU Cross Country coaching staff and players, the Visit Clarksville staff and Montgomery County Government,” said Richard McWhirter, TSSAA Assistant Executive Director. “We always want our competitors to have a first-class experience when they make it to the state level, and Clarksville’s volunteers and venues help us meet those expectations.” 

During the 2018-19 fiscal year ending June 30, Visit Clarksville hosted 19 sports events for basketball, soccer, cross country, track & field, baseball, softball, road and cycling races, horseshoes, and football. These events brought 57,785 visitors to Clarksville-Montgomery County who spent an estimated $24.6 million while here. Total hosted event and group spending for the fiscal year totaled $25.5 million.

 

About Visit Clarksville

The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the State of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influences tourism in the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions, group tours and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts. In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by nine board of director members and is funded by a portion of the local hotel-motel tax.

 

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