The University of Kentucky Cross Country program announced its 2024 season schedule, which includes four regular season meets and the traditional postseason slate of SEC Championships and NCAA Regionals beginning in November.
The season opens on August 30 at the Elmwood Estates Course in Richmond, Ky., where the Wildcats will compete against EKU and Louisville at the EKU Triangular for the third consecutive year. Following a week off, the team will travel to Huntsville, Ala. on September 13 to participate in the Southern Showcase for the second straight season at John Hunt Park, a venue known for hosting several postseason meets, including the 2021 NCAA South Regional.
On September 27, UKXC heads to Columbia, Mo. for the Gans Creek Classic, one of two new additions to the 2024 schedule. The meet, hosted by Missouri at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, will also serve as the site for the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The Wildcats will wrap up their regular season on October 18 at the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Ill., another new event for the program. The race will be held at the Newman Golf Course, a location that has hosted multiple championship events.
Postseason action begins on November 1 with the SEC Championships, hosted by Texas A&M at the Watts Cross Country Course. Last season, the Kentucky men’s team finished eighth and the women’s team placed 12th. The Wildcats have a storied history at the SEC Championships, with the men’s team boasting four titles and the women’s team three. Following the conference meet, the Wildcats will compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional on November 15, hosted by Winthrop at Winthrop Farm in Rock Hill, S.C., where teams from across the Southeast will vie for a spot at the NCAA National Championship meet in Madison, Wisc. on November 23.
The Kentucky men’s team, highlighted by 2023 All-SEC Freshman team member Ed Bird, features eight returners and eight newcomers. The women’s squad includes 12 returners and eight newcomers as they prepare for the 2024 season.
