INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana State University has been chosen to host the 2026 NCAA Men's and Women's Cross Country National Championships, which will take place Nov. 21, 2026 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
 
Indiana State and the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course have previously hosted 13 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships, all of which have come since 2002. LaVern Gibson has hosted the national meet in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016 and most recently in 2019.
 
In addition, the course has also been the host of the NCAA Division I Great Lakes Regional seven times (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017, 2018, 2022) and was the site of the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country National Championships. The 2024 NCAA Division III National Championships also return to Terre Haute in November.
 
Oklahoma State was announced as the other host site during this bid cycle, with the 2027 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships heading to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Nov. 20, 2027. Regional host sites were also announced for this cycle, with the Great Lakes Regional heading to Lansing, Michigan, in 2026 and Verona, Wisconsin, in 2027.
 
2026-2027 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship Sites
Nov. 21, 2026: Terre Haute, Ind. (Indiana State)
Nov. 20, 2027: Stillwater, Okla. (Oklahoma State)
 
2026-27 NCAA Division I Cross Country Great Lakes Regional Sites
Nov. 13, 2026: Lansing, Mich. (Michigan State/Lansing Sports Commission)
Nov. 12, 2027: Verona, Wis. (Wisconsin)
 
ABOUT LAVERN GIBSON CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY COURSE
Located just a few miles east of the city of Terre Haute, the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course is the centerpiece of the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center.

Sitting on the site of a reclaimed coal mine, the course was the vision of late Indiana State University head track and field and cross country coach, John McNichols.

LaVern Gibson donated the land for the course and the development of the facility. Indiana State and Boston Celtics basketball star Larry Bird made a donation to the facility in honor of his father, Joe Bird, and the donation was matched by Max and Greg Gibson in the name of their father and grandfather, respectively.

Ground was broken in the summer of 1995 with the first race, the Indiana Intercollegiate, conducted in October 1997. The course has hosted the Great Lakes Region meet seven times (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2017, 2018, 2022), the Missouri Valley Conference Championship four times (2000, 2002, 2011, 2022), and the Indiana Intercollegiate seven times (1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015).

The NCAA awarded the site the 2002 Division I Men's and Women's National Championship, the first of 13 such honors for Indiana State. The course went on to host the NCAA Championship eight straight years (2004-2011) and then again in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019. The course will also host its second NCAA Division III National Championship in 2024, having previously hosted in 2012.

Much of the course's popularity is due to its challenging, yet manageable, mix of uphill and downhill sections and its simple straightaway start that stretches for nearly the first kilometer before a turn. For spectators, no other course matches in LaVern Gibson's ability to see nearly the entire race from the right perch -- a nice perk for TV crews coming to broadcast the meets as well.
 
COURSE IMPROVEMENTS AND UPGRADES
Since first breaking ground in 1995, the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course has seen multiple improvements and modifications which continue to make it one of the premier cross country courses in the nation.

• Finish line building and press box —1998
• Irrigation system down the main straightaway — 1999
• Permanent fencing down the main straightaway — 2002
• Permanent fencing along the course —2003-present
• Concession stand/bathroom facilities— 2003
• Bleacher seating down the main straightaway – 2010
• Enclosed finish line chute with field turf lining
• New awards stand area, featuring the old pillars from the historic Terre Haute House
• Start line structure – 2019
• Climate-controlled medical building south of the finish line - 2022

 
COURSE RECORDS
Women's 5K
16:24.6 – Taylor Werner, Arkansas, 2019 John McNichols Invitational
 
Women's 6K
19:28.1 – Sally Kipyego, Texas Tech, 2008 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships
 
Men's 8K
22:51.3 – Samuel Chelanga, Liberty, 2008 Pre-National Invitational
 
Men's 10K
28:41.3 – Samuel Chelanga, Liberty, 2009 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships
 
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.