THE Bendigo Bats pursuit of more success in the cross-country series run by Athletics Victoria starts this Saturday at Jells Park.
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Teams from right across Victoria will contest relays in the first of a 10-leg series.
Distances for each leg will be 6km or 3km, depending on the age group.
A hectic lead-up has included sessions at Tom Flood Sports Centre, Lake Weeroona, Flora Hill's athletics track, and on the many roads across Bendigo.
Bats' star Andy Buchanan will be racing in the Hamburg Marathon this Sunday, while several other key members have committed to run at Ballarat's Running Festival.
For the round at Jells Park it will be Matt Buckell as captain of the Bats' premier men's line-up.
Buckell will join forces with young guns Logan Tickell, Harrison Boyd and Logan Tickell.
The Bats have promoted Jackson Eadon and Lewis Gillett to premier division for this round.
Winning last season's division three women's title meant Bendigo earned promotion to division two.
The team to race at Jells Park will be Tully Lang, Phoebe Lonsdale, Juliet Heahleah and Norah Armstrong.
Bendigo will also field teams in men's division two, division five, and 50-plus.
Racing for the Bats in division two will be Luke Millard, Glenn McMillan, Jake Hilson, Jordan Buckell, Myles Livingston and Nigel Preston.
The squad for division five and 50-plus is Chris Armstrong, Nick McDermott, Trevor Kelly, Ben McDermid and Antony Langdon.
In the 50-plus women's class it will be Anne Buckley teaming up with Ruth Sandeman and marathon star Jill Wilkie.
At under-20 level, Billy Meade joins forces with Angus Macafee and Kade Hutchinson.
The Bats will also race in the under-18 boys class.
Bendigo's under-18 girls team to race at Jells Park will be Ebony Woodward, Genevieve Nihill and Abbey Cartner.
A new venue on the XCR calendar is Hanging Rock on Sunday, May 11.
Lakeside 10 will be on June 2 at Albert Park.
Runners return to St Anne's Winery in Ravenswood on June 15.
Other legs will be run at Sandown, Bundoora, Ballarat, Myrniong, Burnley, and The Tan near Melbourne's CBD.
