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This will be the first time the WMA Indoor Championships will have been held in North America, and we expect more than 2,000 athletes to be here competing in a full range of track and field disciplines, including race walking, cross-country and the half marathon.

The majority of the championships will be held at the Tournament Capital Centre, a state-of-the-art facility that has received rave reviews. In fact, in March 2008, a men's 4x400-metre men's relay team from Surrey, B.C., set a world record in the men's 60-69 age group on the very track to be used at the WMA Championships. The distance races will be held against the backdrop of the mountains that surround Kamloops and the river that runs through it. The racewalk, for instance, will be held on McArthur Island, a sports paradise that is comprised of soccer pitches, baseball diamonds, an ice arena, skatepark, BMX track and flat, paved walking paths.

Get your entries in now. Entries from each affiliate must registered by January 9^th for on time entries and February 9^th for late entries. Late entries cost $25 more per event. We are pleased to say that Alan Bell will serve as Competition Director, and will lead a team of competent, experienced officials who hail from across Canada and the United States. Bell has officiated at such events as the Commonwealth Games and the IAAF World Indoor Championships. He was an IAAF technical observer at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games, and this summer was in Berlin working at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships — he started the 100-metre race in which Usain Bolt set a world record of 9.58 seconds. In addition, Bell has acted as Meet Director at several WMA Championships, and was a starter at the WMA Outdoor Championships in Lahti, Finland, in August. In addition to the WMA Indoor Championships in Kamloops, Bell has been tabbed to work at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the 2011 WMA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento. The WMA Championships themselves will feature several social events — because this is an event at which friendships are formed and renewed. A western-themed Athletes' Party will be held March 3. For just Cdn$25, athletes will be treated to a meal, entertainment and music. As well, a Beer Garden will be held in the Athletes' Village, a 300-metre walk from the event centre. And kicking the whole event off is an opening ceremony featuring the wild-west history of Kamloops.

Those travelling to Kamloops should visit www.kamloops2010masters.com for a link to our accommodation providers. We encourage participants to book directly with the hotels, as those recommended are reliable and secure. Any hotel or motel on Columbia Street is close to the venue. We will provide a shuttle service from all the hotels on Columbia Street, Rogers Way, downtown Kamloops and the East Trans-Canada Highway for a cost of $25. It will be the easiest and fastest way to get around. As well, all accredited personnel will receive a free pass on the Kamloops city transit bus system.

We recommend that visitors flying into Vancouver be aware that our event falls on the tail end of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games — accommodation and transportation options will be sparse there. But there are options:

• Air Canada and Westjet have several flights into Kamloops every day.
• You may pre-book a Greyhound bus ticket from Vancouver to Kamloops. The drive takes about five hours and is beautiful. This would be a less-expensive option, and the rapid transit system in Vancouver goes from the airport to the bus depot.
• Fly into Calgary. It won't be as busy as Vancouver, and has several flights into Kamloops daily.
• We hear some American athletes may arrange a bus to and from Seattle airport. You might find information on that at the www.masterstrack.com blog.

National masters associations must submit their country's registrations by Jan. 9, 2010. Therefore, it is encouraged that anyone wishing to register for the 2010 WMA Championships sign up with their national associations as soon as possible, to allow for processing time by the registration deadline.

We believe you'll have a wonderful time at the 2010 WMA Indoor Athletics Championships. Come join us in Kamloops in March 2010! For more information, visit www.kamloops2010masters.com.

Submitted by the Kamloops Organizing Committee for the 2010 WMA Indoor Athletics Championships