XC Central: Tennessee Cross Country Invitational

Friday, September 11

Knoxville, Tenn.

8 a.m. ET

University of Tennessee

Tennessee Invitational

Tennessee XC Invitational - Preview Cover

September 10, 2026 | Cross Country

Live Results Course/Parking Map

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Justin Duncan's third year at the helm of Tennessee cross country begins Friday morning as the Vols and Lady Vols play host to the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational. The season will begin at 8 a.m. ET with the men's 4-mile, followed by the women's 3-mile at 8:45 a.m.

The Big Orange will welcome a pair of opponents to Rocky Top, as Kentucky and Middle Tennessee are set to compete at UT's season opener, running along the banks of the Tennessee River at the Cherokee Farm Cross Country Course.

Attendance and parking for the Tennessee Cross Country Invitational are free to all spectators. The course and parking map can be viewed HERE, and fans can follow along with the action via live results provided by AdkinsTrak Timing Associates.

Duncan enters his third season on Rocky Top with a wealth of returners from last year's distance program, paired with a handful of talented newcomers. Tennessee's entries for the opening home meet are listed below:

MEN

WOMEN

PRESEASON POLL: Tennessee was ranked 28th on the men's side in the preseason edition of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings, while the women's squad was receiving votes. The Vols were picked fourth in the South Region, while the Lady Vols were slotted third regionally.

INTERNATIONAL MIX: Duncan's 21 cross country athletes hail from eight different countries — the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Kenya, Morocco and Scotland.

UP NEXT: After the home opener, the Vols and Lady Vols will begin preparations for the Gans Creek Classic on Friday, Sept. 26, in Columbia, Missouri, getting a preview of the host site of the 2026 SEC Cross Country Championships.