Canicross is the sport of

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and soil, earth, pass through woodlands and ope ...

with

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

s. Originating in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

as off-season training for the mushing (sledding) community, it has become popular as a stand-alone sport all over Europe, especially in the UK, and the United States. Canicross can be run with one or two dogs, always attached to the runner. The runner wears a waist belt, the dog a specifically designed harness, and the two are joined by a

bungee cord file:Bungee Cord PICT6882a.jpg, Bungee cords equipped with metal hooks A bungee cord (sometimes spelled bungie; also known as a shock cord or an ocky strap) is an elastomer, elastic cord composed of one or more elastic strands forming a core, usua ...

or elastic line that reduces shock to both human and dog when the dog pulls. Originally canicross dogs were of sledding or spitz types such as the

husky Husky is a general term for a type of dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies ...

malamute The Alaskan Malamute () is a large dog breed, breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance, to haul heavy freight as a sled dog. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canad ...

but now all breeds have begun taking part including cross breeds, small

terrier Terrier () is a Dog type, type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breed, breeds or landraces of the terrier Dog type, type, which are typically small, wiry, Gameness, game, and fearless. There are fi ...

breeds to large breeds such as

rottweilers The Rottweiler (, , ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered mea ...

and standard poodles. Some breeds are very well suited to not only running and pulling but running at steady pace over a long distance.

Canicross in Europe

The first canicross event staged in the UK took place in 2000. In 2006/07 CaniX UK ran the first UK National Championship, the 2015/16 season will be the 10th UK National Championship. During this period over 2,500 UK dogs/competitors have taken part in 250 CaniX events. In March 2008 CaniX UK ran the first ever cani-cross event at Crufts, the largest dog show held in the world. Over 100 runners and their dogs took part in the event. In October 2012 CaniX UK hosted the first ECF European Canicross Championships in the UK in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. Representation in the UK to the International Canicross Federation is through the British Sleddog Sports Federation (BSSF) Canicross events are held all over the UK and Europe by sleddog organisations, by canicross clubs and also many running events will allow runners to participate with their dogs. Distances vary, with events held to cover distances from a mile up to 28 miles or more.

Canicross in Italy

In Italy canicross is sanctioned by th
CSEN
(sports promotion organisation officially recognised by the

Italian National Olympic Committee The Italian National Olympic Committee (, CONI), founded in 1914 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for the development and management of sports activity in ItalyWithin Italy, CONI recognizes 48 national ...

), and also by privately held circui
FISC

Canicross in the United States

Canicross, sometimes referred to as urban mushing, caniXC, or caniX, is lesser known in the United States, but most prevalent in cooler climate areas. It is gaining momentum through organizations such as North American Canicross, the United States Federation of Sleddog Sports, regional sled dog clubs, and Kenosha Running Company. There are several sanctioned events throughout the year. North American Canicross offers a Titling Program where members can record mileage and races and earn challenge coins.

References

Citations

Sources

External links

* https://canicrossuk.com * http://www.cani-fit.com *
British Sleddog Sports Federation

Canicross Limburg-Zuid

Canicross Trailrunners

International Canicross Federation

Canicross map
* * * * * * {{Authority control Running by type Dog sports