Derby Field

After 149 Kentucky Derbys, Louisville Knows Sports

Live in Lou now Title Sponsor of the Louisville Cross Country Classic

Louisville, Ky. – August 6, 2019 – The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) announced today that Live in Lou – the talent attraction initiative of Greater Louisville Inc. – has been named title sponsor of the Louisville Cross Country Classic, the largest college cross country meet in the U.S.

LSC owns and operates the prestigious meet that has been held annually at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park since 2001.

“The LSC has a long history providing a first-class running experience for thousands of college student-athletes from across the U.S.,” said Karl F. Schmitt, Jr., LSC president and CEO. “Once these athletes graduate from college, a very high percentage go on to successful careers outside of sports. We believe branding the event as the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic along with delivering a positive experience for participants and their families while they’re in Louisville can open the door to future job opportunities in our community.”

In addition to its mission of hosting, attracting and creating sporting events, the LSC is working in partnership with GLI and the business community to increase awareness to athletes who visit here about Louisville as a place to live and work. This is consistent with Live in Lou’s mission to recruit new residents to the region and to show Louisville as an attractive place to live, work and play. College athletes are desirable candidates for local employers because of their discipline, effort and will to succeed.

“We are honored and excited to host these student-athletes and showcase the many job opportunities and community assets we have available in Louisville,” said Kent Oyler, CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., which oversees the Live in Lou initiative.

The 18th Annual Live in Lou Cross Country Classic will be held Oct. 5, 2019, at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. It is the largest, annual college and high school meet held in the U.S., annually attracting 2,500 runners representing more than 100 cross country teams from colleges and universities across the U.S.