Erin Hill:
Welcome to Voices of Leon, a podcast from Leon County Government. This is where we share the stories behind the services, from the people keeping our community running to the programs that make Leon County a great place to live, work, and play. Each episode, we'll take you inside county operations, highlight local initiatives, and hear directly from the staff and partners making a difference every day. In today's episode, we're talking about a world-class event that's putting Leon County on the global stage, the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships coming to Leon County's Apalachee Regional Park this January. Joining us are two county employees who have truly gone the distance, both as leaders and as athletes in bringing this event to life. We are thrilled to welcome Taylor Wheaton, Senior Sports Manager for the Division of Tourism and Amanda Heidecker, Director of Parks and Recreation. Taylor and Amanda, thank you both for being here.
This event is such a huge moment for our community. Let's start with how it all began. What did the process look like for Leon County to be selected to host the World Athletics Cross Country Championships?
Amanda Heidecker:
Thank you. We're again, really excited to be here. The process. Really, the process started when we built Apalachee Regional Park. The creation of the course started back 2009 with our first race, and so it's really been 15 years in the making. Really been a grassroots opportunity and experience to get us to this point. But our ultimate goal was to host every championship on every level, which we've done except for the World Cross Country Championship, so it was a natural fit to go after it. We started the bid process back in 2020. And if you might remember, something called COVID hit us. Yes. So we had to put a quick halt to that bid process. COVID passed, luckily, and we picked that back up. In 2021, we submitted a bid along with multiple other countries, a lengthy bid, about a hundred pages worth. And we had to tell our story on a piece of paper.
How do we become a finalist and how do we be able to pitch to the World Cross Country Council? We got the opportunity. We were one of the three countries chosen as a finalist. We, myself and a couple other members that were part of tourism at the time, we presented to the World Cross Country Council. And then ultimately in July of 2022, we were awarded the World Cross Country Championships. So we won almost four years ago now, and so we've been talking about it a lot. We're nearly two months away from the event, and so we're ready. Again, this has been something in the making for nearly six plus years, but really dating back to the start of Apalachee Regional Park and the course itself.
Erin Hill:
Wow. That's incredible. I don't think anyone would think that it has been such a lengthy process. Can you share a bit about your background and what personally connects each of you to this event?
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. So as a former NCAA Division one track and field athlete, I attended George Mason University. And there I would say firsthand I had the opportunity to really have some structure and understanding of community and sports and dedication and all of that. I feel like from that experience as a college athlete, that really helped shape my perspective now as a professional leader in the sports division. I would say that for me, those experiences that I had as a college athlete and what I learned and what I wanted out of the opportunities that I had at the time are really kind of what helps in shaping me in my role as a sports director now and how I help curate these different sporting events for athletes, whether it's youth, amateur, now professional, and even for the world, and what that looks like for them and how they are able to experience our community and our hospitality when they arrive here.
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. And very much like Taylor, I'm also a former Division I track and field and cross country runner from Florida State University. Running has been my lifelong passion and continues to be every single day. It's opened the doors for education and these opportunities working in tourism for nearly 10 years and now the director of Park for the past four and successfully leading and running over a hundred cross country events to date. I feel like those experiences have really helped and shaped my opportunity to lead alongside Taylor in this world-class global event here in Leon County.
Erin Hill:
Wow. Both as former collegiate athletes, how does that background influence the way that you're approaching the event planning and execution for this event?
Taylor Wheaton:
So I would say that kind of the most rewarding moment for me actually is being and earning this opportunity to help lead this event along with Amanda. I was in a different role during the bidding process, so this kind of fell into my lap. Luckily for me, I had the opportunity to work with tourism in my previous role at FSU for years helping build cross countries. So it's really exciting for me to see how the culmination of work in collegiate sports and now in tourism has helped us enter into this role. I feel like as a former athlete and competing at the highest level of NCAAs, I vividly remember those memories. And like I said, that really kind of helps shape what Amanda and I are trying to build where oftentimes athletes or coaches or all of the different umbrellas of people that are involved in the event, creating those experiences so that each one of them leaves feeling that they had the time of their life, whether they were a spectator, a participant or a coach or even a volunteer.
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. I mean, as Taylor said, being a former cross country runner and track runner, the experiences that you have, you will take for the rest of your life. And as Taylor mentioned, it's really the opportunity to create those for others. And that's what we are delivering in this event and have delivered in all of our events. That was our thought when we built the course and the facility is essentially paying homage to these athletes, some of the hardest working athletes you'll ever come across. This sport is every other sport's punishment. So just take that into mind when you're thinking, right? Everyone else, what we do and these athletes do day in and day out, this is to pay respect to them. That's why we've built this facility and cross country and track, every detail matters. Your training schedule, your race strategy, what you ate the night before, what you ate before the race, and it's creating a plan and building a plan.
And those former experiences as an athlete have prepared myself. And I know Taylor to lead this global event here in our community.
Erin Hill:
That's such an interesting point that you both brought up about kind of planning the event backwards from thinking about what memories, what do we want people to take away from this event? What's the end goal here? And then kind of planning it backwards from that and building from there. That's really interesting. I love how both of you brought that up. In specifics, what about Apalachee Regional Park makes it such a special and competitive course for this championship?
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. So I think I mentioned it before, but Apalachee Regional Park is truly a grassroots commitment and creation. We get calls all the time from communities across the country that are like, "Hey, can you send me your blueprint for building Apalachee Regional Park?" And I say, "I don't have one. There isn't one. It's this community that has built it. " I said, "So I can give you some whatnots to do or how to do it, but there isn't a blueprint. There's nothing I can hand you." It takes so many partners and so many individuals to really build Apalachee Regional Park in the course. And I'll let Taylor kind of touch on, I've had the opportunity with my experience in running in the sport and now as director of parks to continue to build on the facility and make it state of the art so the runners have an experience and coaches have experience unlike anything else, but it's not just about that.
It's about the families and everything else outside of the race course. And that's where Taylor and I, I think as a team have really been able to elevate that to something that you don't see anywhere else. And honestly, not just the United States in the world.
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. And I would say that what's really exciting for me about Apalachee Regional Park, especially not being a part of it from its inception, but seeing over the years, we have become a very well oiled machine and putting on events out there and everybody knows their place and their role and what they're supposed to do. The additions to the facility that we've been able to make over the years have been amazing and have enhanced our operations that now we're able to throw around ideas for what are the fun things that we can do now, now that we've got the basics kind of laid out and working well. And I think that when we hosted the NCAA National Championship, that was the first time we really got a big experience of let's be creative and make it something exciting. And I think that's really when we first started developing what we like to call our cross country festival, where we bring in vendors and things to do for the kids who are watching their siblings compete or parents.
And we've got music, we've got fireworks, we have vendors, we have food. Those are things that you don't normally see. Typically, a cross country course is set up or built out on a golf course or some random land and those aren't thoughts that they have because they're so worried about having to build out the course. And with us having the course year round, it makes it easier for us to build those fan experiences for everyone. And I think we've really done really well at that. And with the world championship and our theme of welcoming the world to Florida of showcasing Tallahassee and Leon County, we have really kind of just exploded in our creativity and I think we're really excited to showcase some of the fun things that we have in store.
Erin Hill:
Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah. I've personally been out to Apalachee Regional Park several times and it's such a beautiful serene place. I'm so excited for so many people around the world to really experience that North Florida, flora and fauna, the big trees that you can't find anywhere else in the world. I just think it's going to be such an amazing experience for the athletes running and for spectators, of course. But before we continue, let's take a short break to highlight other ways Leon County serves our community.
Elizabeth Loeffelman:
Want to record your own podcast, oral history, or voiceover? The sound booth at the Main Library offers a professional studio, completely free with your library card. Equipped with high quality microphones, recording software, in a quiet, acoustically treated space, it's perfect for creators of all kinds. Reserve your session today at LeonCountyLibrary.org/Soundbooth and bring your ideas to life.
Erin Hill:
Did you know that for more than 30 years, Leon County has been helping residents grow a greener community? With the Adopt-A-Tree Program, unincorporated county residents can have a tree planted on their property for free. Choose from native species like American Elm or Black Gum and make a lasting impact on our local ecosystem. Applications are now open through January 31, 2026. Visit LeonCountyFL.gov/AdoptATree to learn more and apply today. Let's grow a greener Leon County together.
Lauryl Phinney:
Celebrate the new year with Leon County Government at the annual Countdown at Cascades. This free family-friendly event takes place at the Atterly Amphitheater in Cascades Park on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, starting at 6 p.m. Enjoy live music from Eddie 9V, followed by Lili Forbes and the Pharaohs of Funk, plus two spectacular fireworks shows at 7:45 and 9:45 p.m. The celebration will also ring in the final countdown to the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships, happening Saturday, January 10, at Apalachee Regional Park. Don't miss the fun. Learn more at TheAdderleyAphitheater.com.
Erin Hill:
Let's get back to our guests. Taylor and Amanda, for county residents who are not familiar with this event or cross country meets in general, what can they expect? What are some of the unique elements that visitors and attendees can look forward to?
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. So the World Cross Country Championships, this is a 46th edition of the World Cross Country Championships. For those that don't know what that is, just think about the Olympics. This is the Olympics of cross country. It's the highest level competing athletes across the world. We'll be welcoming over 60 countries here to be part of that. And then if you're not familiar with cross country, the best way I can describe it, it's a grueling sport. You are going on trails, rough terrain over different distances. This event in particular, you'll be going over sand, over a rollercoaster, through mud, and you're pushing yourself to a level of pure exhaustion. So you're really seeing people vulnerable at a moment and you're going to see athletes, honestly, some of the hardest working athletes you'll ever come across in the world.
Erin Hill:
Wow. That is just going to be so exciting to watch as a spectator from my perspective. But how is the team preparing to welcome the athletes and fans from more than 60 different countries?
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. So some of the unique elements that we are having to welcome those fans and attendees and the athletes as well. Like I mentioned before, our theme is welcoming the world to Florida. We are working very diligently with our sponsors and we will have a lot of different activations for people to be able to experience this. We will have a kid zone where kids have the opportunity to kind of go through and get their passports stamped as they're stopping at each of the stations that mirror the different elements on the course that Amanda mentioned with the mud, with the water, with the sand and those things. We'll also have other vendors and items out there in a beer garden, and it'll just be a really fun vibe for everybody. Throughout the course, we'll have four different video boards and opportunity for you to either stay and sit planted and watch somewhere, or if you want to move around, you're still able to catch what's going on all around throughout the races, no matter where you're at.
So we're really excited for that.
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. And outside of the course and in talking about inside the course, we've spent 15 years building this pristine course. People refer to it as Augusta of cross country. When we bid on it, they wanted something a little different. They wanted to bring it back to the roots of cross country. So United States runners have been very ... I don't know what you want to call them. They're used to golf course like grass. Well, they wanted to bring the World Cross Country Championships back to its roots, which is in the mud, in the sand, really, really grueling. So we are creating what will look like and what will be the living reel of the state of Florida. So when you're there and you're watching and you're an athlete, they're going to start at the steps of our capital. We'll have a replica that's over a hundred feet long, 30 feet tall, and it will literally look like you're standing there.
So you're starting in Tallahassee and Leon County, the capital of the state of Florida. From there, you're going to move to Central Florida. Everyone knows what Central Florida is about, right? Theme parks, roller coasters. Athletes will go up and over a rollercoaster. It'll be about 10 feet tall, 90 feet long, and they'll be almost eye to eye with our new spectator crossing that's 14 feet tall. From there, they will hit the white sand beaches of Florida. They'll run through almost a foot thick deep of sand, but it's going to be a full experience of Florida and beaches. We'll have beach chairs, volleyballs, some lifeguards...
Taylor Wheaton:
Surfboards. Yeah. Palm trees
Amanda Heidecker:
Surfboards. Yes, palm trees, which are already out there and planted. From there, you will go to our coastline, which is obviously beautiful laguna looking water with some sea life part of it. So the runners will actually go down into the water. From there, they will go over what we're calling life size alligator logs. We're lucky that we have an amazing local artist here in town. John Birch. I know the Democrat actually just featured him, but we've brought him out and he's carving for almost 20 foot long logs into what is not just an alligator, but it's an entire ...
Taylor Wheaton:
It's amazing.
Amanda Heidecker:
It's a theme. It's an experience. Every log in itself he's personally put into. And then from there, they're going to hit the swamp in the mud. We'll have a airboat. It'll feel like alligators. You're going to feel like you're in the middle of the swamp. And then from there, they will send into the finish line. So we have an amazing experience on the outside and then also on the inside of the course. So we're really looking forward to giving in this once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone.
Erin Hill:
Yeah. Wow. Florida just is that perfect place to bring cross country back to its roots with that dirt and the mud because Florida has such a diverse terrain and people don't realize that. They think it's just the beaches and that white sand, but oh my gosh, you can get really down and dirty. So that is really exciting to hear. I personally am very excited for the fun run. I will be participating. Yes. But what other opportunities exist for local residents to get involved either as spectators, volunteers or participants?
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. So I'll talk a little bit more about the fun run because we are really excited about that. We're offering four different races. These will all be held right after the award. So you get to watch the professional athletes compete, watch them win their medals. And after that ceremony, you can get out there and run on the same course that they just finished competing on, which is so unique. But we will have a kids 2K race. That's for children 12 and under. And we're excited that we're able to offer that free. So if you have any children that are interested in running in that, you can sign them up for free and they can go ahead and run. Then we'll have a community 2K, a high school 4K, and then a community 4K as well. So if you're up for a little bit more of a rugged challenge and you want to hit that 2K loop twice, you can sign up for the 4K run.
We also have the opportunity for high schools to sign up their teams during the high school race if they choose, or high schoolers can run as individuals. And then we, of course, couldn't forget corporate teams. You're able to get your coworkers sign up together and each participant in those fun run races wins a replica medal that looks very similar to the world championship medal that they get to take home, which it's beautiful and really excited that we're able to offer that as well. As far as volunteers go, right now we are capped out.
Lauryl Phinney:
Wow.
Taylor Wheaton:
Yes. We surpassed over 500 volunteers within our first week of opening the volunteer portal. That's incredible. Yeah. And we were like, oh my gosh, we got to shut this down.
Amanda Heidecker:
And waiting list, long waiting list.
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. So now we've had some attrition, but we have a long waiting list. But I think right now with where we're at, there's not any positions open. So really we're asking people like, if you can't volunteer, please show up and buy a spectator ticket, come in. Children are free to watch as well, even if they're not competing and just enjoy the experience.
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. And for us in this event, we're really trying to create a legacy. As we have for the past 15 years, we're trying to grow the sport here in Leon County in the state of Florida and within the country. And we feel like we've successfully been able to do that just because of our course here. For instance, the Tallahassee State College, which used to be Tallahassee Community College, they started a cross-country program because of Apalachee Regional Park and what we had. And so that's our goal, is to continue to get more kids and more athletes involved in the sport. And so part of that, all of the ticket registration and fund run registration portion of that funds will go back to Leon County schools, but not just to the schools, particularly to the track and cross country program. We know that a lot of them are underfunded and we want the opportunity for any kid that wants to be involved to be there.
And so we're really excited to raise money. We've been pushing it out to all the schools and all the kids, and that's how we want them to get involved, is knowing a portion of any funds that are brought in for the tickets and race, it's going back to the school system and to those programs for kids to get involved. So that's part of our legacy. In addition to that, we have some kids initiatives. I'll let Taylor kind of talk more because this is really something that she's taken on and she's very proud of. And we're really excited for the coloring and the arts, but I'll let her talk about it because she's a lot more passionate about it and can speak to it. So we'll talk about the kids' initiatives.
Taylor Wheaton:
Yeah. So I worked really well in my sports department, Bailey Geason. She was excited about outside of this sports portion and being involved, how about a creative arts contest? So we really were able to kind of tap into the art side as well, even though this is a sporting event and get that part of the community really bought in as well. So we just wrapped up the creative art contest for kids. We have it split into a few different age categories. Their mission was to design an art piece that welcomed the world to Florida, that celebrated sports. So we just finished up voting on those and really excited. Those will be showcased in the kids' own area at the course. So those kids were hoping that they will come with their parents and they will get to see their art featured at a world championship, which is a really cool and unique thing.
So we are really excited for that opportunity as well to be able to loop them in with that.
Erin Hill:
Awesome. We've talked a lot about how this is going to be such an incredible event for the community, but personally, what excites you both most about bringing this once in a generation event to Tallahassee?
Amanda Heidecker:
Yeah. So twofold for me, being a former cross country runner and everything that this sport has brought to me in my life personally and professionally, what I'm excited about is to really inspire that next generation. The goal and even world athletics came to us when we were bidding on this is it's not currently in the Olympics and they want to get it reinstated back in the Olympics. And the part of this event is really creating that excitement and that hype behind the event in order to show the USOC, show the Olympic committee, it needs to be back in the Olympics. People care about the sport. Spectators are part of it. So I think we will put on the best edition of the World Cross Country Championship and hopefully convince those in the Olympic committee to put it back in the Olympics. So that's one element, obviously.
I love the sport. I want to see it continue to grow. But then the effort and the tireleless time that has gone into putting this event is just the experience, the unforgettable experience and creating that unforgettable experience is really showing the world why Leon County and Tallahassee is a place to be. Come and visit it, but also come and live here. The people are incredible. We have a story and we get to share that on a global level. So that's what excites me the most.
Taylor Wheaton:
Yes, I agree. And outside of, like Amanda said, inspiring the next generations of runners, for me and what I do every day is my day job in tourism. People are always asking why Tallahassee, why Tallahassee? We get to showcase and show you guys, this is why we are a premier destination, not just for sporting events, but international sporting events too. And although our community may not be as large as others, we are able to hang in there with the others and be able to host these events and put on a very good, if not like Amanda said, what we're hoping will be the best in this category. And that's not just cross country. There's very many other sports that we do and excel very high at a high level as well. So really excited to kind of showcase us as the premier sports destination here and show everybody, like she said, what Leon County and Tallahassee has to offer.
Erin Hill:
That's wonderful. I'm so excited for this event. How can people stay updated and make sure they don't miss out on any of this action?
Taylor Wheaton:
Yes. So as you are looking for details, you can always check on the VisitTallahassee.com/WXC26. That'll take you to our website where we have periodic updates about what's going on, how to buy your tickets. If you're coming in from out of town, hotel stays, where to go, what's going on. So that's kind of a big key part to learn about the registration for the fun runs and everything else like that. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram, as well as X @worldxcchamps. And you can also check us out at WXCTallahassee26.com. That'll take you to our World Athletics landing page. That'll give you information about the event and about other World Athletics Championships that they have going on.
Erin Hill:
That's wonderful. I'm so excited for this. Thank you both for being here so, so much. I am excited to see what else comes for cross country at Apalachee Regional Park in January 2026.
Amanda Heidecker:
Thank you. We look forward to seeing everybody. Yes. Like you said, January 10, see you at Apalachee Regional Park.