All countries are free to enter the championship.
A country enter a school team in a category before entering a selected team in that category. Only when a school team is entered, will a selected team be accepted. The runners of the school teams must be students from the same school, chosen to participate in the championship, that have been attending the same school regularly from the beginning of the school year 1999 - 2000. Admitted to participate are students born between 1. 1. 1983 - 31.12.1986. Selected teams must be composed of school pupils but not necessarily from the same school.