Towson Tigers Cross Country Announces Challenging 2026 Schedule
The Towson University women’s cross country team now knows the road ahead for the 2026 season, as the Tigers unveiled a four-meet regular season schedule that will prepare the program for another run through the Coastal Athletic Association Championships this fall.
Head coach Erin O’Grady’s squad will open the season on Sept. 4 at the Mount St. Mary’s 5K Duals in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The early-season meet provides the Tigers with a chance to gauge their fitness against regional competition before the schedule begins to intensify.
Towson returns to action on Sept. 18 at the Main Line Invitational, hosted by Haverford College in Pennsylvania. The Tigers then compete in one of the nation’s premier regular-season events, the Paul Short Run, on Oct. 2 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Paul Short Run annually attracts many of the top NCAA programs from across the East Coast and gives runners valuable experience against elite competition.
The regular season concludes on Oct. 17 at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational, hosted by Gettysburg College. That meet serves as Towson’s final tune-up before the postseason begins.
The Tigers will then shift their focus to championship racing. The CAA Cross Country Championships are scheduled for Oct. 31, with qualifying teams and individuals advancing to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Nov. 13. The season culminates with the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
MSB Analysis
While Towson’s regular-season slate consists of only four meets, it is designed around quality rather than quantity. The inclusion of the Paul Short Run is particularly significant, as it gives the Tigers an opportunity to compete against nationally recognized programs before entering conference championship competition.
The Tigers also benefit from racing at a variety of courses throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania, helping prepare the team for the different terrain and conditions they could face during the postseason.
For Towson, success will not be measured by September results alone. The program’s biggest goals will come at the end of October and into November when CAA and NCAA postseason competition begins. If the Tigers can build steadily throughout the fall, this schedule provides a strong foundation for another competitive season.
2026 Towson Women’s Cross Country Schedule
- Sept. 4 – Mount St. Mary’s 5K Duals (Emmitsburg, Md.)
- Sept. 18 – Main Line Invitational (Haverford, Pa.)
- Oct. 2 – Paul Short Run (Bethlehem, Pa.)
- Oct. 17 – Aubrey Shenk Invitational (Gettysburg, Pa.)
- Oct. 31 – CAA Championships
- Nov. 13 – NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
- Nov. 21 – NCAA Championships (Terre Haute, Ind.)
