After 150 Kentucky Derbys, Louisville Knows Sports

Wrap Around Event Features Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle and High School Races

Louisville, Ky. – Oct. 2, 2024 – The Louisville Sports Commission (LSC) will host 100 colleges and universities from 21 states at the 23rd Annual Live in Lou Cross Country Classic on Sat., Oct. 5, 2024, at E. P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park (Sawyer). The Live in Lou Classic will attract 2,100 athletes representing many of the top college cross country programs in the nation.

Three women’s and three men’s college races will be contested over the fan-friendly course; post-time for the first race on Saturday is 9:30 a.m. In addition, Eastern High School will host elementary school races on Friday (Oct. 4) starting at 5 p.m. and middle and high school races on Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. The youth and prep races are expected to draw 2,900 runners from six states.

The Live in Lou Classic once again will feature a strong field of 23 men’s teams and 22 women’s teams that are currently ranked in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Regional and National, NCAA Division II National, NCAA Division III National Cross Country Polls and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) this season.

The men’s 8,000-meter Gold race will feature University of North Carolina Charlotte, ranked no. 5 in the Division I Southeast Region; East Central University (OK), ranked no. 3 in the NCAA Division II National Poll; West Texas A&M University, ranked no. 4 in the NCAA Division II National Poll; North Central College (IL), ranked no. 4 in the NCAA Division III National Poll; Clemson University (SC), ranked 14th in Southeast Division I Regional Poll; and Oakland University (MI), ranked 14th in the Great Lakes Division I Regional Poll.

The women’s 5,000-meter Gold race will showcase ACC’s Clemson University (SC), receiving votes nationally and ranked no. 4 in the Division I Southeast Region; West Virginia University, from the Big 12 conference, receiving votes in the National Coaches Poll and ranked no. 10 in the Division I Mid-Atlantic Region; University of South Carolina, ranked 11th in the Southeast Division I Regional Poll; University of North Carolina Charlotte, ranked 13th in the Southeast Division I Regional Poll; Ohio University, ranked no. 8 in the Division I Great Lakes Regional Poll; and Lee University (TN) and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, ranked no. 9 and no.10, respectively, in the NCAA Division II National Poll.

Individually, the men’s Gold race is on track to be one the finest early season matchups in the country. Runners expected to compete for a spot on the podium include West Texas A&M’s William Amponsah (2023 Live in Lou Cross Country Classic Champion, 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter personal records of 13:40.16.26 and 28:00.09, respectively); East Central’s triad of Aspel Kiprob (sixth place in the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championship and 3,000 meter steeplechase personal record of 8:45.20), Peter Kipkembo (5,000 meter personal record of 13:54.91) and Amos Pkiach; Charlotte’s Maddon Muhammad (1,500 meter and 5,000 meter personal records of  3:41.82 and 14:04.58, respectively; and North Central’s Max Svienty (sixth place in the 2023 Live in Lou Cross Country Classic with 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter personal records of 13:57.03 and 29:06.03, respectively).

The women’s Gold race will showcase several of the top collegiate runners in the U.S. For the first time in meet history, two former individual Live in Lou Cross Country Classic champions will compete head-to-head: West Virginia’s Ceile McCabe, 2024 Canadian Olympian (2021 and 2022 Live in Lou Cross Country Classic Champion and multiple All-American 3,000 meter and 3,000 Steeplechase personal records of 8:50.44 and 9:20.58, respectively), and Clemson’s Glady Chepetich (2023 Live in Lou Cross Country Classic Champion and multiple All-American 800 meter and 1,500 meter personal records of 1:59.81 and4:13.15, respectively). Also expected to lead the way are Clemson teammates Judy Kosgei (winner of the 2024 adidas Challenge, 19^th place in the 2023 Division I Cross Country National Championships with 1,500 meter and 3,000 meter personal records of 07.65 and 9:10.76, respectively) and Silvia Jelelgo (3,000 meter and 5,000 meter personal records of 9:27.49 and 16:07.70, respectively); and South Carolina teammates Teresa Cherotich (3,000 meter steeplechase and 5,000 meter personal records of 9:59.61 and 16:06.16, respectively) and Sylvia Chelangat (800 meter personal record of 2:01.23).

The Blue and Silver collegiate races, also contested at 8,000 meters for men and 5,000 meters for women, will feature strong NAIA and NJCAA fields, with eight men’s and seven women’s nationally ranked teams as well as a number of regionally ranked programs.

Practice time for college teams is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.

Eastern High School will host a series of races for school-age kids on Friday and Saturday on the same course. Kindergarten and elementary school races will be contested at Sawyer on Friday starting at 5 p.m. Middle and high school races will be contested on Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m. with teams from Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia, Tennessee and Ohio.

Live results will be posted at: https://www.flashresults.com/2024_Meets/xc/LouisvilleClassic/

For any further information on race day please contact:

• Corbin Maynard, event operations director (502) 823-4289
• David Lawhorn, meet director (502) 330-1933.

Location:
E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park
3000 Freys Hill Road
Louisville, KY 40241

COLLEGE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS SATURDAY, Sat., Oct. 5

Race Times:

• Men’s 8,000-meter Gold race 9:30 a.m.
• Women’s 5,000-meter Gold race 10:15 a.m.
• Men’s 8,000-meter Blue race 10:45 a.m.
• Women’s 5,000-meter Blue race 11:30 a.m.
• Men’s 8,000-meter Silver race 12 p.m.
• Women’s 5,000-meter Silver race 12:45 p.m.
• High School events anticipated to start at 1:30 p.m.

K THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EVENTS SCHEDULE / Fri., Oct. 4

Race Times:

• Kindergarten / first grade 1200 meters 5 p.m.
• Boys 3^rd Grade and Under 2K 5:20 p.m.
• Girls 3^rd Grade and Under 2K 5:40 p.m.
• Boys 5^th Grade and Under 6 p.m.
• Girls 5^th Grade and Under 6:30 p.m.

MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS SCHEDULE / Sat., Oct. 5

Race Times

• High School Boys Varsity Invite 5K 1:30 p.m.
• High School Girls Varsity Invite 5K 2 p.m.
• High School Boys JV Open 5K 2:30 p.m.
• High School Girls JV Open 5K 3 p.m.
• Middle School Boys 4K 3:45 p.m.
• Middle School Girls 4K 4:15 p.m.