By Ray Hamill — The North Coast Section cross country championships are scheduled to go ahead at Hayward on Tuesday, as long as the air quality remains within the required levels.

On Monday, the NCS announced the races are still on schedule for Tuesday, after being postponed on Saturday due to poor air quality in the area.

The news affects several local runners, from Fortuna, Arcata, Del Norte, McKinleyville and Eureka.

And with the state championships set for Saturday in Fresno, there is no more room for delays.

If Tuesday’s race is unable to go ahead, an advancement committee will then decide which NCS runners move on to the state races.