2025 Mountain West Cross Country Championship Central

FRESNO, Calif. – With the regular season in the rearview mirror, Mountain West cross country runners are gearing up for the postseason, beginning with the 2025 Credit Union 1 MW Cross Country Championships on Friday, Oct. 31, hosted by Fresno State at Woodward Park in Fresno, California.

The New Mexico men and women swept last year’s titles and are looking to repeat in consecutive years for the first time since 2014. The Lobos were voted as league favorites in both the Conference preseason poll and this week’s pre-championship poll. Each squad has spent the season nationally ranked in the top 10 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with the Lobo men inside the top five at No. 3 and the women at No. 9.

On the men’s side, New Mexico is seeking a third straight title and its 18th overall. Junior Habtom Samuel will be looking to make history and become the first Mountain West runner, men’s or women’s, to win three consecutive individual titles after winning in 2023 and 2024. Prior to his first-place finish in 2023, the Lobo men hadn’t had an individual champion since 2012.

Heading into the MW men’s championship, New Mexico is joined in the national rankings by No. 23 Air Force, who has also spent the entirety of the fall campaign in the top 25.

The New Mexico women returned to the top of the podium last fall after seeing their streak of 15 straight MW championship titles ended by Colorado State in 2023. The Lobos, who began the season ranked No. 5 nationally and enter the championships at No. 9, will be eying a second straight conference title and their 17th overall.

In 2024, New Mexico’s Pamela Kosgei was the first freshman to win the women’s title since 2015 and the now sophomore will have a chance to be become just the fourth women’s runner in Mountain West history to capture the individual championship in back-to-back years.

The men’s championship 8k race will begin at 9 a.m. PT on the Mountain West Network, while the women’s 6k race starts at 9:45 a.m. PT on the Mountain West Network.

 RACE CENTRAL

HOW TO WATCH

The 2025 Credit Union 1 MW Cross Country Championships will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network with Adam Diehl and Tyler Ortega calling the action.
Be sure to download the app, which is available on Android, IOS, Apple TV, Roku and Android TV. For more information visit TheMW.com.