Eastern Kentucky will host the United Athletic Conference cross-country championships Friday at the University Club at Arlington, with the women’s 5K at 9 a.m. ET and the men’s 8K at 9:45 a.m. Both races will stream on ESPN+. In its first season in the UAC, EKU brings a nationally ranked men’s team and a strong women’s squad into the meet.

By the Numbers
  • 66 conference cross-country titles in EKU history: 34 women’s and 32 men’s.
  • Men’s race: 8K at 9:45 a.m. ET; women’s race: 5K at 9 a.m. ET.
  • EKU men are ranked No. 17 nationally; the women placed second among 48 teams at the Arturo Barrios Invitational.
  • Senior Taha Er Raouy ran a personal-best 8K of 22:47.0; sophomore Edna Chelulei won the Arturo Barrios 6K in 18:42.2.
Yes, But

EKU’s strong credentials come with a new-conference test: this is the Colonels’ first UAC season. The women’s most recent conference title was in 2020, while the men arrive after winning four straight ASUN championships from 2022 to 2025.

State of Play
  • EKU will compete against eight other schools, including Austin Peay, Tarleton State, Abilene Christian and UT Arlington.
  • Admission is free. Parking is available at Arlington House, with overflow parking and shuttle service from First Christian Church starting at 8 a.m. ET.
  • The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live results available online.
What’s Next

After the conference championships, EKU is scheduled to race at the NCAA Southeast Regional on Nov. 13 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Bottom Line

EKU gets a home-course opportunity to turn its season momentum into its first UAC championship—and to establish itself in its new conference.