Cross Country Canada has awarded the 2010 Haywood Ski Nationals to the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club.

The event will take place at the club's Mount McIntyre site in mid-March 2010, just a few weeks after the 2010 Olympics wrap up.

This will be the biggest event the Whitehorse club has hosted in many years.

The Haywood Ski Nationals encompass both junior and senior national championships, and also includes the national university and colleges championships and a para-nordic championship event.

About 400 skiers are expected to participate, representing the elite of Canada's ski community. Along with the skiers, another 50 or so coaching and support staff will be coming to town.

Each skier will likely participate in up to five races spread over an 8 day stretch.

The races will encompass everything from sprints to long distance races, relays, mass starts and interval start races.

This is a unique opportunity for Yukon skiers to compete at the highest level without the usual grind of national travel and local skiers are looking forward to the challenge.

Home field advantage seemed to work for the skiers at the 2007 Canada Winter Games when they were held in Whitehorse. Cross country skiers brought home three of the four medals won by Yukon athletes during the CWG.

The nationals are the ultimate test of a Canadian skier's performance.

The five race series is the ultimate measure of speed and tactics and especially endurance for the athletes and competition is always intense.

The Whitehorse club and the Yukon ski team have performed well over the past few seasons, finishing in fourth place in the country at last year's Nationals with strong performances by all skiers, including medal performances by both Emily Nishikawa and David Greer.

The Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club has established a solid reputation among skiers across the country for putting on great events.

Around 200 volunteers will be working over the next couple of ski seasons, training and preparing for the races.