Blacksburg, Va. (theACC.com) – Virginia Tech will host the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships on Friday, October 30 at the Buford Meredith Cross Country Course in Blacksburg, Virginia. The men’s 8k Championship will begin at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the women’s 6k Championship at 11 a.m. ET.
All information regarding the ACC Cross Country Championships can be found on the ACC Championship page, including the broadcast link, live link, course maps and more.
NC State, the women’s preseason favorite and defending ACC champion, looks to claim its fourth ACC women’s title in the last five years. Notre Dame, which won the title in 2024, was voted second in the preseason poll, just 19 points behind NC State, and will look to win its second championship in the last three seasons.
Syracuse and Wake Forest began the season as co-favorites in the men’s ACC Preseason Poll. The last five championship meets have seen four different winners, with Wake Forest being the only team to claim multiple titles during this stretch. Wake Forest will look to repeat as champion.
NC State runners have won the women’s individual title for the eighth consecutive year. Angelina Napoleon looks to defend her title and continue the streak of Wolfpack winners. On the men’s side, Rocky Hansen will look to repeat as individual champion and potentially break another course record.
In the USTFCCCA Week 5 Coaches’ Poll, the ACC leads all conferences with eight women’s teams ranked in the top 30 and is tied for the most men’s teams. The women’s poll is led by No. 2 NC State, followed by No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 14 Clemson, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 20 Virginia Tech and Stanford, No. 22 Virginia and No. 24 Duke. Boston College also received votes.
Syracuse leads the men’s poll at No. 8, followed by No. 10 Wake Forest, No. 13 Stanford, No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 27 North Carolina. Virginia Tech also received votes during this week’s poll.
Noting ACC Cross Country
- NC State women have won four of the last five NCAA National Championships.
- Six Atlantic Coast Conference Women's teams finished in the top 10 at the Under Armour Pre-Nationals.
- The Syracuse men placed first overall at the Pre-Nationals. Notre Dame and North Carolina round out the three ACC teams in the top five.
- NC State's Hannah Gapes and North Carolina’s Ciara O’Shea were each named a USTFCCCA Division I National Athlete of the Week during the season.
- Louisville’s Elsingi Kipruto, Wake Forest’s Rocky Hansen and Virginia Tech’s George Couttie each rank in the top 11 nationally in the FloTrack Men’s Individual Cross Country rankings.
- NC State’s Hannah Gapes is ranked second nationally in the FloTrack Women’s Individual Cross Country rankings.
ACC Cross Country Men’s Performer of the Week
Sept. 8 – Charles Guerrera, So., Syracuse; Roan Kelly, R-So., Virginia Tech
Sept. 15 – Connell Alford, Jr., Syracuse
Sept. 22 – Dylan DeCambre, Sr., Virginia Tech
Sept. 29 – Benne Anderson, Sr., Syracuse
Oct. 6 – Daelin Ackley, 5th, Notre Dame
Oct.13 – Elsingi Kipruto, So., Louisville
Oct. 20 – Daelin Ackley, 5th, Notre Dame
ACC Cross Country Men’s Freshman of the Week
Sept. 8 – Robert Leonard, Fr., Virginia Tech
Sept. 15 – Caden Leonard, Fr., North Carolina
Sept. 22 – Daniel Skandera, Fr., Wake Forest
Sept. 29 – Caden Leonard, Fr., North Carolina
Oct. 6 – Noah Bontrager, Fr., Notre Dame
Oct.13 – Sean Fries, Fr., Stanford
Oct. 20 – Caden Leonard, Fr., North Carolina
ACC Cross Country Women’s Performer of the Week
Sept. 8 – Nancy Cherop, Fr., Clemson
Sept. 15 – Ciara O’Shea, R-Jr., North Carolina; Kiera Rogan, So., Syracuse
Sept. 22 – Rylee Blade, So., Florida State
Sept. 29 – Victoria Garces, So., Duke
Oct. 6 – Hannah Gapes, 5th, NC State
Oct.13 – Nancy Chepleting, Jr., Louisville
Oct. 20 – Hannah Gapes, 5th, NC State
ACC Cross Country Women’s Freshman of the Week
Sept. 8 – Nancy Cherop, Fr., Clemson
Sept. 15 – Chase Gilbert, Fr., Virginia
Sept. 22 – Nancy Cherop, Fr., Clemson
Sept. 29 – Sundara Weber, Fr., Duke
Oct. 6 – Brenda Jeptoo, Fr., Virginia Tech
Oct. 13 – Amaya Bharadwaj, Fr., Stanford
Oct. 20 – Nancy Cherop, Fr., Clemson