The best of the best high school track and field athletes from throughout the province are converging on Langley this week.

Langley, and specifically the McLeod Athletic Park (MAP), are a preferred location for the BC High School Track and Field (BCTF) Championships that are happening Thursday through Saturday.

While the local track and most of its competition amenities are pretty standard, itsa国际传媒檚 the covered stadium and media booth used for staging, as well as the jumbotron that keep organizer Andrew Lenton and the team from the BCTFsa国际传媒檚 commission coming back to Langley again and again.

sa国际传媒淭he media tower makes a great staging area for the event, for us, from an organizational perspective,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淏ut the feedback we get from the spectators is that the jumbotron is something theysa国际传媒檙e really wanting to keep, so wesa国际传媒檝e come back here.sa国际传媒�

He said the Townshipsa国际传媒檚 parks and rec staff have been sa国际传媒済reat to deal with.sa国际传媒� And the commissionsa国际传媒檚 long-standing relationship with the Langley Mustangs track and field club has made it possible to facilitate sa国际传媒渁n event of this magnitudesa国际传媒� year after year.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a really great facility. The Township of Langley is great to work with, their parks and rec. The facilities are great,sa国际传媒� said Lenton, who is assistant coach at Maple Ridge Secondary and commissioner for the B.C. High School Track & Field Commission.

In addition to complimenting parks and rec, he said partnering with the Langley Mustangs track and field club to facilitate an event of this magnitude has been key.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 just a massive event,sa国际传媒� Lenton said Wednesday afternoon from MAP.

Itsa国际传媒檚 one of the largest high school competitions of any kind in the country, comparable only to the Ontario track and field event, he said.

It will be a full house, added Lenton, noting that once again there will be 2,400 students from 335 high school throughout the province competing.

sa国际传媒淲e cap out. We limit and restrict who can come into the championships,sa国际传媒� he explained. sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 many thousands and thousands more who have not been as lucky as to qualify or get a berth into the championships.sa国际传媒�

In addition to all the athletes expected, there are another 400 coaches, and countless parents and supporters coming to Langley this weekend.

sa国际传媒淭his is a huge undertaking,sa国际传媒� Lenton told the Langley Advance, explaining that these annual championships takes more than a year of prep time to arrange.

Speaking to that, he and the other commission directors started preparing for 2019sa国际传媒檚 competition last summer.

The championships are primarily held within the Lower Mainland, because of facilities and logistics.

Only on rare occasions does it get moved to the Island or Interior.

It was hosted at the Apple Bowl in Kelowna in 1972, and Nanaimo in 2015, Lenton recalled. But he confirmed it will be back in Kelowna again next year, and hesa国际传媒檚 already making plans for their return to Langley in 2020.

This is year six for Lenton at the helm.

sa国际传媒淚 thought I would do it for one year, and somehow Isa国际传媒檓 finding myself in year six. I donsa国际传媒檛 know how that happened,sa国际传媒� he said.

Itsa国际传媒檚 primarily the calibre of athletes he sees participating year after year, and their insatiable quest to better themselves, that keeps him coming back.

This yearsa国际传媒檚 competition includes 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,500-metre races, long jump, shot put, high jump, javelin, triple jump, steeplechase, race walking, discus, and hammer for students Grade 8 through 12.

sa国际传媒淭his really is, in terms of high school track and field competition, as good as it gets,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淚n fact, We have some of the best athletes in the world competing,sa国际传媒� he added, encouraging sports enthusiasts to watch the performances.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e going to be exciting,sa国际传媒� Lenton said of the various showdowns. sa国际传媒淔or a lot of the kids, this is what theysa国际传媒檝e been practicing and training for months and months.sa国际传媒�

While Thursdaysa国际传媒檚 action runs from 3 to about 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday are full days. Friday will see meets and competitions running from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to about 5 p.m.

Thatsa国际传媒檚 long days, Lenton admitted. But to make it more palatable for spectators, most of the finals have been arranged between about 2 and 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e loaded in all the finals in those times,sa国际传媒� or at least as many as they could accommodate.

More information: .