Cory Leslie gets to scratch another continent off the list – and represent the United States on a global stage in the process.

The George Mason assistant cross country and track coach will race for Team USA at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on Sunday in Kampala, Uganda. This marks the fourth time Leslie has competed for the United States but is his first world championship.

"Any time you get a chance to not only do what you love but also represent your country is certainly an honor," he said. "It is hard to not be excited about that chance. I'm really excited to get over there, travel and compete with the best in the world."

The 27-year-old will compete in the mixed relay event, which is new to the world championships but not to Leslie. He competed for the U.S. in the 4x1K relay at the Great Edinburgh XCountry meet last year in Scotland.

The mixed relay consists of four runners (two men and two women) and at the world championships each member will run 2,000 meters. Leslie is joined on the team by Paul Chelimo, who won the silver medal in the 5,000-meter run at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and fellow college All-Americans Marisa Howard (Boise State) and Eleanor Fulton (Washington). The runners can run in any order they wish and will pass a wrist band that serves as a baton in a 20-meter long exchange or takeover zone.

Team USA will be on of a dozen countries competing in the inaugural mixed relay event at the Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Kenya and Ethiopia are the heavy favorites to win but the U.S. hopes to battle for a medal as well.

"It is cross country in Uganda at 4,000-feet elevation. There are a lot of variables you really can't take into account," Leslie said.  "When you look at who the U.S. is lining up – I know the other guy is the Olympic silver medalist from 5K from this past summer. I certainly think you show up and do your job and compete and represent your country as best as you can we're going to be in a good spot.

"It is hard to put place expectations on it, but I think any time you show up to a global championship and just compete good things usually happen."

A six-time All-American at Ohio State, where he owns four school records, Leslie has competed vigorously at an elite level since graduating in 2012. He twice qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, including an eighth-place finish in 2016. He has represented Team USA three other times – at the Great Edinburgh XCountry meet, the DecaNation in France and the Pan American Games in Toronto. At the Pan Am Games, he won the bronze medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. 

His running has led him all around the world as he has competed at meets from Rome to Tokyo to Dublin to Prague to Austria to Belgium. With the world championships in Africa this weekend he'll have now competed on every continent except for Antarctica.

"Running has not only allowed me to compete across the world but see all these great cities all over and really enjoy what has been afforded to me," he said.

Unlike many world championship events where participants have to qualify at a national championship, Leslie and his relay teammates were chosen for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

The selection committee looked at Leslie's body of work over the past year. That included strong performances in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (a personal-best 8:19.12 last May in Los Angeles), 1,500-meter run (3:40.8 in February in New York) and the mile (3:57.86, also in February in New York). He got the call in mid-February asking him to compete for Team USA once again.

"It wasn't until I hung up the phone and it was like, 'Oh, I just made the World Cross Country Championships,'" he said. "It was definitely an exciting feeling but so much different than any other team or anything else I've done or accomplished in our sport."

Leslie, who joined the George Mason staff in September after four seasons at Furman, will run at 2 p.m. local time in Uganda (7 a.m. EST) on Sunday. He'll then hop back on a plane that night and get back to Fairfax on Monday night and jump right back into the outdoor track season with the Patriots.

"The biggest thing is how excited I am to not only to be able to go over to a global championship and represent our country but, at the same time, representing George Mason University as well," he said. "It is something I'm extremely grateful for and looking forward to – representing the university as best as possible as well."