10/28/26 – 2026 State Cross Country Meet Final Information

October 28, 2026 Athletic Department Blog Updates

Congratulations to all participants and coaches who have qualified for the 2026 Kentucky Beef Council State Cross Country Championships. There are several items for your review on the cross country page of the KHSAA website, including state instructions, course maps, lane assignments, directions to the State Site, and the state meet time schedule (updated with packet pickup details).

The official state qualifiers and school rosters have been updated to include competitor numbers. To view these items, go to the KHSAA CROSS COUNTRY page and scroll to the bottom of the page under the “Kentucky Beef Council State Meet Information and Instructions” dropdown menu.

STARTING BOXES

Starting box assignments have also been posted on the KHSAA Cross Country page and can be viewed under “Kentucky Beef Council State Meet” dropdown and under the “2026-2027 Pre-Championship Information and State Meet Results” link.

• 1A Girls Starting Boxes
• 1A Boys Starting Boxes
• 2A Girls Starting Boxes
• 2A Boys Starting Boxes
• 3A Girls Starting Boxes
• 3A Boys  Starting Boxes

HOTELS

The KHSAA has also heard that member schools are struggling to find hotel availability due to the Breeder’s Cup. One property reached out to our office yesterday that still has availability. While availability is limited, here is that property information:

• Hampton Inn 2251 Elkhorn Dr
• Lexington, KY 40505
• Carrie Prewitt: c.prewitt@rainmakerhospitality.com; 859-208-7124
• 10-12 double queen rooms, with king rooms mixed in if needed, for $219 plus tax.

PRACTICE FOR STATE MEET

• Athletes qualifying for state will be allowed on the Kentucky Horse Park course for practice on Friday, October 30 from 3-5:30 p.m. ET.
• A coach or school representative must attend practice with athletes.
• Alpha Event Medicine will be on-site from 3-5:30 p.m. ET.

SCHEDULE/TEAM CHECK-IN

• TIME SCHEDULE
• Be advised that Class 3A will kick off the state event again this year!
• Team packets will be available for each class at the indicated time.
• Coaches of other classes will not receive team packets until the competing class has checked in.
• In addition, the 2026 State Meet will once again utilize bib chips and the collection of unused chips is no longer necessary at the team check-in. 
• Athletes who do not run should avoid the finish line area with the bib number/chip; coaches are advised to give those extra bibs to the clerks.

TICKETS FOR STATE MEET

• All tickets will be sold online via GoFan, the KHSAA’s official digital ticket vendor; on sale now! Be advised, ticket prices are lower if purchased prior to the day of the event:PURCHASE TICKETS
• There will be no paper tickets sold at the walk-up gate.
• Parking will be free for all teams and fans (as the KHSAA will cover those charges).
  • *Be advised that the Kentucky Horse Park charges the KHSAA a $4 facility fee per runner and a $4 parking fee per ticket, which is included in the ticket price. KHP retains the entire fee.
  • The NO re-entry ticket price will be lower, with all fees included, if purchased before midnight on the day of the event.
  • The NO re-entry ticket price increases by $3, including all fees, after midnight on the day prior to the event.
  • A re-entry ticket will be lower, all fees included, if purchased prior to midnight on the day of the event.
  • The re-entry price increases by $3, including all fees, after midnight on the day before the event.
  • Kentucky Children’s Hospital is sponsoring FREE tickets for all children 10-and-under. (To receive these qualifying free tickets, you must “purchase” these through khsaatickets.org even though there will be no charge.)

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT APPAREL

• There will be on-site sales during practice time and on the day of the event. 
• On-site sales will feature all 3 classes participating student-athletes’ names on the back of the apparel. 
• Any online sales will feature the names of specific class-only (1A, 2A, or 3A) participating student-athletes on the back of the apparel. The online link will be available after the event, and you can also purchase on-site for shipping.

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 291 member schools, both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 229 state championships to 72 teams and 270 individuals in 21 sports and six sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 109,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials.