The short version: The 2026 UIL Cross Country State Championships are Friday and Saturday, November 6–7, at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. 6A, 2A and 4A race Friday; 5A, 1A and 3A race Saturday, starting at 8:15 a.m. each day. Admission is by parking ticket, sold per car ($25 for up to two people, $40 for more), on sale October 26, card only. Can’t make it? The NFHS Network streams both days.
State is the biggest cross country weekend in Texas, and districts and regionals fill the rest of October. Everything below comes from UIL’s own state meet pages, checked October 1, 2026.
Race schedule
| Time | Friday, Nov. 6 | Saturday, Nov. 7 |
|---|---|---|
| 8:15 a.m. | 6A girls, 5K | 5A girls, 5K |
| 8:45 a.m. | 6A boys, 5K | 5A boys, 5K |
| 9:30 a.m. | 2A girls, 3200m | 1A girls, 3200m |
| 10:10 a.m. | 2A boys, 5K | 1A boys, 5K |
| 10:55 a.m. | 4A girls, 3200m | 3A girls, 3200m |
| 11:25 a.m. | 4A boys, 5K | 3A boys, 5K |
Results post by classification on UIL’s state meet page, and UIL says state championship photos are available through MaxPreps.
Tickets, parking and getting in
- Your parking ticket is your admission. $25 plus service fees for a car with up to two people; $40 plus fees for more than two. Arrive with more than two people on a two-person ticket and UIL charges $15 more.
- On sale October 26 at 7:00 a.m. Buy online ahead of time. On site, it’s credit or debit card only; there are no cash sales.
- Enter from Kenney Fort Blvd. Because of construction, UIL says all spectators must come in via Kenney Fort Blvd. to Sports Capital Crossing. From I-35, take Old Settlers Blvd. east, turn south on Kenney Fort, U-turn at Homestead Farms Dr. and turn east on Sports Capital Crossing (no left turn is allowed there). From Hwy 79, go north on Joe DiMaggio Blvd., then north on Kenney Fort.
- Expect very heavy traffic and a walk from parking to the course. The race is one loop of the park, so check the spectator map for viewing spots and crossings, and stay off the course.
- For athletes: there are no dressing facilities. Concessions and merchandise are across the road from the start/finish line.
How to watch online
The NFHS Network carries a live two-day broadcast. It requires a subscription, and you can watch on the web, in the NFHS Network app, or on Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV.
How runners get to state
UIL’s post-season rules send up to the top three teams and ten individuals from each district to regionals. From regionals, up to the top four teams and the top ten individuals not on a qualifying team go to state. Schools may enter up to seven runners per gender, and a team needs at least five to score.
Meanwhile, in Texas college cross country
- Texas: Aidan Torres won the 8K at the Texas A&M Invitational on September 11 in 23:53.1, his second straight win. Stephen F. Austin won the team title with 39 points, ahead of Texas (58), TCU (72), Houston (81) and Texas A&M (129). SMU won the women’s 5K team title with 21 points.
- Texas Tech: Titus Kimaru won the Texas Tech Open 8K in 23:48.1 on September 18, his third win in three straight weekends, and was named Big 12 Runner of the Week in consecutive weeks. Lily Mather won the women’s 6K in 21:01.7.
- What’s next: Texas Tech’s schedule lists the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station on October 16 and the Big 12 Championships on October 31. Texas A&M’s schedule lists the NCAA South Central Regional on November 13.
Want to race cross country yourself?
Most adult races are on roads or trails, but grass and dirt courses are out there. Our Texas trail race calendar has the off-road options, and the 5Ks in Texas calendar has hundreds of fall road races. Round Rock and the rest of the area are on the Austin races page and the Austin & Hill Country calendar.
