UTEP Miners

UTEP Cross Country Announces 2026 Schedule, Set to Host Lori Fitzgerald for First Time in Seven Years

7/29/2026 2:55:00 PM

EL PASO – UTEP will host the 40^th Lori Fitzgerald Invitational, its first home meet since the 2019 campaign, as the 2026 cross country schedule was announced on Wednesday. The Miners will also start competition as a Mountain West program this coming campaign.

The season will open at NM State's Art Morgan Classic on Saturday, Sept. 5, in Las Cruces. The meet will be held at the NM State Golf Course.

"I'm very excited to begin our first cross country season in the Mountain West. This schedule will challenge us from the very first race, and that's exactly the type of competition we want to embrace," second-year head coach Francesca Green said. "Our focus has been on continuing to build our culture, raising our standards every day, and preparing our student-athletes to compete at the highest level."

The Lori Fitzgerald Invitational returns to the Sun City for the first time in seven years, with the 40^th edition running on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Ascarate Park.

"We're also excited to host the Lori Fitzgerald XC Invitational on September 19 at Ascarate Park, marking the return of a home cross country meet for UTEP," Green said. "I want to sincerely thank New Mexico State for hosting the Lori Fitzgerald Invitational over the past several years. Their commitment helped preserve this outstanding event, and we're proud to bring it back to El Paso. We look forward to welcoming teams from across the region and continuing to grow the tradition of cross country in our community."

The Miners' third meet will be at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday, Oct. 3.

UTEP will conclude the regular season on Oct. 16 at Texas A&M's Arturo Barrios Invitational in Bryan-College Station at Dale Watts '71 Cross Country Course.

The Miners will compete in their first-ever Mountain West Cross Country Championships on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, in Reno, Nev.

The NCAA Mountain Regionals will take place on Friday, Nov. 13, in Albuquerque, N.M., while the NCAA Cross Country Championships are Saturday, Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Ind.

2026 UTEP CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE
Art Morgan Classic | Sept. 5, Las Cruces, N.M.
40^th Lori Fitzgerald Invitational | Sept. 19, El Paso, Texas (Ascarate Park)
Chile Pepper Festival | Oct. 3, Fayetteville, Ark.
Arturo Barrios Invitational | Oct. 16, College Station, Texas
Mountain West XC Championships | Oct. 31, Reno, Nev.
NCAA XC Mountain Regional Championships | Nov. 13, Albuquerque, N.M.
NCAA XC Championships | Nov. 21, Terre Haute, Ind.

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