Here's every Division I cross country individual men's and women's champion

The first-ever men's cross country championship was in 1938, with the first women's championship coming 43 years later in 1981. In each race, a team and individual champion are crowned. This is an article focusing on the history and results at an individual level.

MORE 🏆: Men's team history | Women's team history

It's important when looking at the history below it's important to know that the championship race distances were not always the same distance. Men's championship races were four miles from 1938-64, six miles from 1965-75 before ultimately landing at the 10,000-meter races we have today in 1976. Women's championship races were 5,000 meters from 1981-99 and at the turn of the century in 2000, the races extended to 6,000 meters which has held into the present.

That said, we'll dive into the lengthy list of every individual champion in Division I men's and women's cross country history before getting into a break down of the data surrounding individual champions.

MORE 🏆: Teams with most NCAA titles | Fastest  finishes

Complete individual DI cross country history

All-time men's individual DI cross country champions

*Due to course conditions, the 2013 race was moved 110 meters, causing the course to be short.
^Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 championship occurred in the spring of 2021.

All-time women's individual DI cross country champions

*Due to course conditions, the 2013 race was moved 110 meters, causing the course to be short.
^Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 championship occurred in the spring of 2021.

Analysis of individual DI cross country champion history

Schools with the most individual championships

Individuals with multiple titles

Eleven different athletes — five men and six women — have won multiple individual DI cross country titles. 

Notables

• Oregon's Edward Cheserek and Texas Tech's Sally Kipyego are the only athletes ever to three-peat as cross country champions.  
• NC State's Betty Jo Springs is the only woman to ever win two titles without them coming in consecutive years, winning in 1981 and 1982.
• Washington State's Gerry Lindgren and Henry Rono plus Oregon's Steve Prefontaine are the only athletes to win three titles in four years, with all three winning two, losing one and closing with a final title.
• BYU's Connor Mantz is the only athlete to win two titles within the same calendar year thanks to the 2020 season occurring in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fastest individuals at championships

Fastest men's finishers

• 4 miles—19:12.3, Max Truex, Southern California, 1957
• 6 miles—28:00.2, Steve Prefontaine, Oregon, 1970
• 10,000 meters—28:06.6, Henry Rono, Washington St., 1976

Fastest women's finishers

• 5,000 meters—15:59.86, Vicki Huber, Villanova, 1989;
• 6,000 meters—18:55.2, Parker Valby, Florida, 2023

Schools to go back-to-back with different individuals

Six different programs have won individual titles in consecutive years with different athletes.

Athletes to win individual and team titles in same year

On 30 different occasions, an athlete has won the DI cross country individual title and his/her team also lifted the team trophy.

*Team Participation in the championships vacated by the krikya18.committee on Infractions