A new cross country running group will make a showing at this weekend's (November 3) Alberta Cross Country Running Championships.

The grassroots Cochrane Endurance Project  (CEP) has 20 athletes ages 11 to 50 competing under the CEP banner at Provincials on Saturday. Travis Cummings, Founder of Cochrane Endurance says the group is still in the infancy stages. Starting up only a month ago, Cummings says the demand for helping athletes was out there and the concept came together with some other coaches/parent volunteers. "We decided to go ahead with it. It has been pretty good so far and there is a definite demand for a track club in town from what I see."

With athletes from CEP competing in bantam boys, bantam girls, midget girls, midget boys, youth men, and Master’s women’s this Saturday, Cummings is excited to see where this grassroots project ends up. "We have been trying to make it inclusive but I don't really know what the direction it's going to be yet. I know we have a demand for it as I have had five practices in the last week or so at the AG Grounds and 15-20 athletes at each practice, so people are definitely coming out to run."

Although Cochrane has the Red Rock Running Club, Cummings shares there is no independent club operating for athletes involved in shorter distances, cross-country or track. "There is not a whole lot in Cochrane for that and I have all age groups, from kids in grade seven to fifty-year-old women running with the club and I think it is cool."

The demand for such a club has been building over the last couple of years and with variables recently coming together, Cummings says they finally decided to bite the bullet and formalize the group. "People aren't paying thousands of dollars in club fees or anything; they are paying Athletics Alberta fees, their own entry fees, and I am not making any money off of coaching."

With some formalized teams running in this weekend's Provincials, Cummings thinks they have a good opportunity to score and win a Provincial medal which will help get their name on the map. 

With lots of people in the community coaching small pockets of athletes in disciplines such as swimming or tri, Cochrane Endurance Project will offer another layer to help keep athletes young and old running for a long time and excited about the growing popularity of track and cross country.

If you would like more information on Cochrane Endurance Project you can email Cummings directly at traviscummings10km@gmail.com or check out the group's Facebook page, HERE.