River Hawks Ready to Run Into the 2026 Cross Country Season
9/2/2026 6:46:00 AM | Men's Cross Country/Track & Field, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
The UMass Lowell men’s and women’s cross country teams are geared up and ready to kick off the 2026 season. The men are looking to keep their historic hot streak going and win their seventh consecutive America East Championship, while the women aim to get back to their winning ways.
Our goal every year is to compete for a championship. Obviously, we've had representation at the NCAA Championships more years than not, so that's always a goal too is to compete at the very highest levels.Head Coach Gary Gardner
Both teams used that momentum from the fall of 2025 to fuel them for the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons, with the men winning both seasons’ championships to complete the triple crown. The squads rode that energy into the summer, where the student-athletes put in their work to ensure they are in the best possible shape to not only perform at a high level again, but to reach an even higher level.
All of that hard work comes together at the annual week of preseason camp at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in Lenox, Massachusetts. Both the men's and women's team, as well as the coaches, stay together at the camp for a five days to train as a team on the beautiful forest trails of October Mountain, but also compete in different camp games throughout the week and bond as a team off the course.
Camp is the best and it is the best week of the year. It brings everyone closer to each other, you get to meet the freshman a little more, and you get really fit. It's a really good week of training, high mileage, we have good workouts and it sets up up really nicely.Sophomore Will Conklin
The women’s squad came up short of a conference title last season, finishing fifth, and they will be using that as motivation for this upcoming season and aim to improve on their finish.
The goal is always to win and the goal is always to be the best team out there. I think that starts with being our best selves and then coming together as a team to be there for each other and be the best that we can be.Graduate Student Mary-Kate Finn
The teams will be young in 2026, losing some key members of last year’s squad, but Gardner believes the team will step and the shoes will be filled.
A couple of the freshmen look like they are going to be able to help us this year and a coupe spots got filled, so we feel like we are in a good spot on both sides right now.Head Coach Gary Gardner
Year after year, the cross country and track and field teams have built a strong, close-knit culture that has played a major role in their recent success. That bond begins during the recruiting process with each incoming class and becomes even stronger during preseason at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac. As the team grows closer off the course, the athletes become more motivated to compete for one another, giving them an added drive to succeed and come out on top.
I think camp helps people get out of their shells, especially when you're a freshman, you get to meet people really fast and I think it just helps people bond.Junior Georgia Brooks
That emphasis on team bonding and building relationships away from the course also helps make the transition to the collegiate level smoother for freshmen. The sooner new runners feel connected to their teammates and comfortable within the group, the sooner they can settle in, embrace the work and feel motivated to contribute. The team’s upperclassmen play an important role in that process, helping newcomers find their place and showing them what it means to be part of the program.
It has been really fun but also a lot of work. The intensity has risen and expectations are a lot higher, but it is really fun because I have so many people supporting me and uplifting me.Freshman Luke Zahurak
The transition to the collegiate level has been really good so far. I think it is a really cool thing to be joining a program with so much recent success, especially because I feel like I am a part of something bigger.Freshman Rosie Bradley
With preseason camp now in the rearview mirror, the River Hawks are ready to put their preparation to the test and officially begin the 2026 season. The season gets underway Saturday, Sept. 5, at the Vermont Invitational at Hard’Ack Recreation Area in St. Albans, Vt. Two weeks later, the team will compete in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Following a week dedicated to rest and recovery, the squad will return to action for one of its biggest tests of the regular season at the Paul Short Run at Lehigh on Friday, Oct. 2. The meet will bring together a strong field featuring some of the nation’s top runners.
The River Hawks will then enter the final stretch of the regular season, beginning with the New England Cross Country Championships in Hopkinton, N.H., on Oct. 9. The following week features a busy double-meet day on Oct. 16, with the NCAA Pre-National Meet in Indianapolis, Ind., and the Pre-Conference Meet at UAlbany. The CCSU Mini Meet on Oct. 23 will serve as the team’s final competition before championship season.
From there, the River Hawks will return to UAlbany for the 2026 America East Cross Country Championships before turning their attention to NCAA contests. NCAA Regionals will take place in Bethpage, N.Y., on Nov. 13, followed by the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis on Nov. 22.
2026 UMass Lowell Cross Country Schedule
Don't be scared. There are a lot of expectations, but you just have to push past it and do what you can do. I'm very excited for the season.Junior Devin Moreau
