NAIA Men’s Cross Country allows student-athletes to compete in collegiate cross country while earning an education that prepares them for success beyond the sport. With programs across North America, the NAIA offers competitive distance running opportunities, athletic scholarships, and recruiting pathways for runners looking to continue their careers at the collegiate level.
NAIA Men’s Cross Country programs emphasize endurance, discipline, and performance, allowing runners to develop individually and as part of a team. From early-season invitationals to conference championships, every race contributes to the journey toward the NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championship, where the nation’s top collegiate distance runners compete for a national title.
NAIA Men’s Cross Country has helped develop elite runners who earned national recognition and elevated the sport, including Silah Misoi, Kennedy Kithuka, and James Bungei. More than race results, the NAIA experience is about resilience, growth, and competing with purpose The Right Way to Play®.
Preseason ratings for the 2026-27 NAIA Men’s Cross Country season are in! Be on the lookout for the preseason poll, which comes out Thursday, August 20, to see where your favorite team checks in to start the 2026 campaign. American Midwest Conference 1. Columbia (Mo.)2. Central Baptist (Ark.)3. UHSP (Mo.)4. Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.)5. Crowley’s Ridge (Mo.)6. […]
The Master’s (Calif.) brings No. 1 ranking into Nov. 21 championship
Rio Grande, Spring Arbor Also Climb in Season’s Final Rating
Final NAIA Men’s Cross Country Top 25 Slated for Nov. 11
Three new teams in the top 10, big jumps into Top 25 highlight Oct. 30
Redda set a new Columbia record in the 8K
