FARMINGTON, Minn. – Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) cross country runners will be back on course next weekend for the start of the 2026 season.
The new season officially begins on Friday, September 4, with St. Olaf's Ole Opener, along with a trio of twilights hosted by MSU-Moorhead, UW-River Falls, and Augustana.
The last regular-season events of the season are currently scheduled for Saturday, October 17, allowing teams an extra week of rest before the 2026 MIAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 31 at St. Olaf College. The women's 6K race will begin at 11:00 a.m. with the men's 8K race to follow at noon.
Northfield will be the cross country capital of Division III in November. Two weeks after the MIAC Championships, teams will be back at St. Olaf for the NCAA Men's and Women's North Regionals. The action will then travel across town to Carleton College, where the Knights will host the 2026 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, November 21.
2025 MIAC CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
MIAC Men's Cross Country
St. Olaf (33)*%
Carleton (84)
Macalester (96)
Saint John's (102)
Gustavus (121)
Bethel (175)
St. Scholastica (207)
Concordia (219)
Augsburg (273)
Saint Mary's (284)
Hamline (302)
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MIAC Women's Cross Country
Carleton (30)*%
St. Olaf (80)%
Gustavus (116)
Macalester (120)
Concordia (129)
St. Scholastica (139)
Bethel (167)
Saint Benedict (202)
Saint Mary's (255)
Hamline (255)
St. Catherine (302) |
*MIAC Champion
%NCAA Championship Participant |
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AWARD WATCH
All-Conference honorees for men's and women's cross country will be determined at the 2026 MIAC Cross Country Championships. The top 15 finishers in each race will be named All-Conference, while finishers 16-25 will receive honorable mention distinction. The individual winner of the men's and women's races will automatically earn MIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors, with the top-placing true first-year student in each race being named the MIAC Rookie of the Year. In the week following the conference championships, MIAC cross country coaches will also vote for Men's and Women's Coach of the Year awards. To be eligible for Rookie of the Year honors, a student-athlete must be a true college first-year student (not a transfer from another institution or an academic sophomore/junior/senior who has not used eligibility.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards. Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards will be issued throughout the fall when at least three MIAC teams have competed in a given week, and nominations for outstanding performances have been submitted.
FOR THE RECORD
The online MIAC Men's Cross Country Record Book and MIAC Women's Cross Country Record Book feature historical standings, all-time award winners, record information, and more. The information included in the record books is based on available data, and research for additional historical documents is ongoing.
LOOKING AHEAD
USTFCCCA Men's Preseason National Rankings: No. 23 St. Olaf
USTFCCCA Men's Preseason Regional Rankings: No. 4 St. Olaf, No. 7 Saint John's
USTFCCCA Women's Preseason National Rankings: No. 17 Carleton, No. 27 St. Olaf
USTFCCCA Women's Preseason Regional Rankings: No. 2 Carleton, No. 4 St. Olaf, No. 7 Gustavus, No. 10 Bethel
First Race Date: Friday, September 4
MIAC Championships: Saturday, October 31
Men's Season Links: Schedule | News | Top Times | Athletes of the Week | Championships | Record Book
Women's Season Links: Schedule | News | Top Times | Athletes of the Week | Championships | Record Book