Richmond, Ky. (October 29, 2026) – The University of North Alabama cross country teams will travel to Richmond, Ky. for the UAC Championship this Friday. The women will run a 5K starting at 8 a.m. and the men will run an 8K following the women at 8:45 a.m.  

Both races will be broadcast on ESPN+. Fans can watch the women's race at this link and the men's race at this link. 

This will be the first conference championship race after UNA's transition into the newly-formed United Athletic Conference. The Lions will take on Richmond with both familiar and new faces to race against, including Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Little Rock, Tarleton State, UT Arlington and West Georgia. 

Junior Brian Bett is expected to perform well, similar to how he has all three years as a Lion. The speedster ran his season-best 8K time in the most recent race, the Kennemer Classic, with a time of 23:41.6. Bett's fastest 8K time came in his freshman season for the Lions with a time of 23:26.4.  

Other men's runners to watch in scoring territory are Vincent Chepkwony, Isiaah Krieger, Jack Gruber, Nathan Buckeridge and Lincoln Smith, among others. 

For the women, the Lions will look to compete against steep UAC competition. The Lions have been led this season by junior Sandra Maiyo, as well as fellow junior Alexis Renn, true freshman Lillie Meeks and senior twins Taylor and Savannah Williams. 

UNA's cross country teams will race at the University Club at Arlington, a multi-purpose complex near EKU's campus used for men and women's golf when it is not used as a course for cross country. This will be the first time that the Lions, led by head coach Connor Callahan, will race on this course. 

The Lions will face strong competition as the hosts of this contest were the preseason favorites, EKU. Eastern Kentucky will also be racing with the preseason men's and women's runners of the year, Taha Er Raouy and Edna Chelulei. 

For live results to the UAC Championship, click here. 

After the UAC Championship, the Lions will look ahead to the 2026 NCAA South Regional set for Nov. 13 in Tallahassee, Fla.   

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.