BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The 2026 Mid-South Conference Cross Country Championships take place on Friday at Phil Moore Park.

The men's 8,000-meter race is slated to begin at 10 a.m. CT, followed by the 6,000-meter women's race at 11 a.m. CT.

 

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Cumberlands enters the championship ranked No. 1 in the NAIA this season.

The Patriots have won three straight MSC championships and own a conference-best 15 titles.

Last season, Cumberlands tallied 15 points at the championship, with Bethel (Tenn.) finished runner-up with 84 points.

Eighty-three men are scheduled to compete on Friday.

 

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Cumberlands (Ky.) enters Friday's events as the top-rated MSC team in the NAIA Top-25 Poll at No. 16.

The Patriots have won six straight Mid-South Women's Cross Country titles, dating back to the 2020-21 season. Cumberlands boasts a conference-best 17 championships.

Last season, Cumberlands won with a team score of 22 points. Cumberland (Tenn.) finished second with 65 points.

Sixty-six women are scheduled to compete on Friday.

 

The conference champion in both the men's and women's races earns the Mid-South's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, scheduled for November 20 in Vancouver, Washington.

In addition to the winning team, the top four individual finishers not on the winning team, who finish in the top 15, earn a spot in the national tournament field.

The winner of Friday's race earns MSC Runner of the Year, while the top freshman finisher earns MSC Freshman Runner of the Year. The top seven finishers earn Mid-South Conference First-Team honors, while the next seven earn MSC Second-Team honors.