Columbia expects $1.2 million economic boost from NCAA Cross Country Championships
Euphenie Andre
Editor’s note: Megan McConachie’s title has been corrected.
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The NCAA Cross Country Championships is expected to bring in $1.2 million in revenue to the city this weekend, according to the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau .
From hotels to restaurants, local businesses are anticipating a significant economic boost as hundreds of athletes compete for a national title.
The Gans Creek Cross Country Course is hosting its fourth national event this weekend. The Columbia and Visitors Bureau said the influx of athletes, coaches and fans will have a notable affect on the local economy.
“More people are dining in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, and shopping in our stores, which is a great influx of money into our economy,” Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman Megan McConachie said. “But then there’s also the long-term effect—the exposure from an event like this helps establish Columbia as a premier destination,”
The Park Restaurant Bar and Grill, which is steps from TownePlace Suites, has already seen a surge in guests. Since Thursday, reservations have doubled, including a 24-person cross country team tonight. The restaurant reports larger groups and more frequent reservations throughout the weekend.
“It’s great to see Columbia hosting the NCAA Cross Country Championship this weekend,” said Caleb Rowden, who is a spokesperson for the restaurant and is the former pro tem of the Missouri Senate. “We’re expecting a welcome uptick in traffic at Park, but we’re even more eager to help showcase the hospitality, energy, and community spirit that make this city such a strong host. It’s a great moment for Columbia, and we’re glad to play a small part in it.”
An ABC 17 reporter visited the restaurant at 6:30 p.m., and it was filled with cross country teams as well as regular guests.
The championships will occur Saturday and are expected to bring 3,000-5,000 spectators, in addition to the 32 men’s and women’s teams who will compete, according to previous filings from the city.
Past events have demonstrated the economic impact of hosting major championships. According to McConachie:
The 2021 SEC Championship generated more than $165,000 for Columbia.
The 2022 NCAA Midwest Regionals generated more than $562,000 for Columbia.
The 2024 NAIA Nationals brought in more than $918,000.
This year’s Missouri High School State Championships contributed more than $343,000.
“It’s an honor for Mizzou to host the championship for the first time at Gans Creek, the state-of-the-art cross country course,” Mizzou Cross Country assistant coach Paige Duca said in a statement. “This event serves as a powerful platform to unite our local community and welcome teams and fans from across the nation—while generating meaningful economic momentum for local and growing businesses. We look forward to hosting championship events year over year.”
According to McConachie, a significant portion of the cost to host a meet of this size is reimbursed by the NCAA.
“Some of that is related to ticket sales. Some of that’s related to the organization. So for us, this was kind of a no brainer that once we had this premiere facility, that this was the kind of event we could go after,” McConachie said.
Compared to football, which can generate a couple hundred thousand dollars from home games, McConachie said cross country isn’t as lucrative.
“It’s definitely going to look a like like kind of the concentration of the number of people is going to look the same. But of course, the event is a little bit of a shorter time and it’s a litte bit more niche. A lot of those fans will go in and come out,” she said.
The first race is scheduled to begin 9:20 a.m. for the Women’s 6 kilometer run and 10:10 a.m. for the Men’s 10 kilometer run on Saturday.
The Chamber partners with 17 hotels across the city, and while final occupancy numbers won’t be available until the races conclude, some hotels are already fully booked through Saturday.
McConachie said the Columbia Police Department will assist with traffic control:
“There’s only a few way to get into the actual footprint of the even and so that’s why for this, we have coordinated a tremendous amount of satellite parking and shutting into the facility,” McConachie said.
Attendees are reminded that parking passes must be purchased in advance. Passes will not be available on-site the day of the event.