Production via Wyatt Barnsley On this week’s episode of The Stride Report Podcast, Ben and Garrett react to one of December’s biggest headlines as Roisin Willis officially turns pro, breaking down what it means for her future and the collegiate landscape she leaves behind. They also dive into major coaching and transfer news, including Cale Wallace being named Arkansas’ new men’s cross country coach and Ernest Cheruiyot’s move from Texas Tech to Arkansas. The guys track a flurry of portal movement with Valentin Soca, Zane Bergen and Jackson Shorten, analyze Wake Forest’s addition of French standout Aurielian Radja, and hit on key signings across the country to round out a packed episode full of early-season intrigue. Be sure to listen, subscribe and review! (2:24) Roisin Willis Turns Pro (8:24) Cale Wallace Named Arkansas Men’s Head Cross Country Coach (12:29) Ernest Cheruiyot Leaves Texas Tech for Arkansas (17:37) Valentin Soca Enters Transfer Portal (23:57) Zane Bergen Enters Transfer Portal (28:24) Jackson Shorten Transfers to Oregon (32:09) Wake Forrest Bring in French Aurielian Radja (36:11) Lyla Belshaw Signs With Louisville (40:57) Bradley Giblin Heading to Eastern Kentucky (43:14) Arizona Signs Mercy Chepkemoi You can listen to that episode (and others) on our PODCASTS  page! You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud. If you like it, be sure to leave us a rating  and a review ! Note: If you're having issues loading the episode on the site via mobile, try refreshing  the episode page. We will look into this issue for future episodes.

Niwot boys hoist the trophy after winning the NXN team title // Photo via Griffin Forberg Yes, we have photos! TSR readers can download our photos from the 2025 NXN & USATF XC Championships on our SNAPSHOTS page! When posting to social media, all we ask is that you (please) cite and tag the respective photographer ( Griffin Forberg // griffinxphoto ) as well as @thestridereport . Enjoy! 2025 NXN & USATF XC Championships (via Griffin Forberg) Instagram: griffinxphoto Karissa Schweizer preparing for the USATF XC Championships // Photo via Griffin Forberg

Join us for another episode of Beyond the Stride featuring UNC national champion, Makayla Paige! 🏆🐏 On this episode of Beyond the Stride, Lauren sits down with UNC’s Makayla Paige to talk about the mindset shift that came before her NCAA title-winning season! 🥇🔥 After battling injury, Paige redefined her relationship with running — moving from needing the sport to wanting it — and that change helped unlock a breakthrough year that included an NCAA indoor title and multiple sub-2:00 (800) performances during the spring! 😎 Paige also reflects on nearly falling during the NCAA Indoor Championships, trusting herself in chaotic race moments, and what it means to compete at the highest level while still enjoying the process. 🏃‍♀️💨 🗣️ Hosted by Lauren Cawley Be sure to like/follow/subscribe/comment on all of podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube! You can find our other episodes there as well.

Written by Aimee Mackenzie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin Stanford's Roisin Willis, a two-time NCAA champion over 800 meters, has announced that she will forego her last year of eligibility to turn pro. Her announcement came via an Instagram post on Friday evening. Willis currently holds an NIL deal with New Balance. However, there has been no official word as to who the Wisconsin native will ultimately sign with. Willis, who was once a phenom middle distance runner in high school, has developed an elite resume during her time in college. Willis claimed the 2023 indoor 800-meter national title (as well as the DMR national title) as a freshman and earned multiple All-American honors following that. The Cardinal superstar then secured the outdoor 800-meter national title at the 2025 NCAA Championships in a jaw-dropping time of 1:58.13. That mark currently stands as a NCAA #3 all-time. Willis carried that momentum into the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships. There, she was crowned the 800-meter national champion in a time of 1:59.26, closing in an electric 58.33 seconds on the last lap. Willis is only the fourth person to complete the historic win both the NCAA Championships and the USA Championships in the same season. The Stanford ace later qualified for the World Championships in Tokyo this past September. Willis' personal bests include times of 52.89 (400), 1:25.74 (600), 1:58.13 (800) and 4:13.31 (1500). In her pro announcement, Willis stated, "These past few years have brought a series of highs and lows—moments that have tested and refined my character and taught me how to show up authentically in my sport… This team will always have a special place in my heart.”

Written by Aimee Mackenzie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin The nation's top high school runners will compete in the first-ever Brooks High School XC National Championship at Balboa Park in San Diego, California on Saturday! You can find our predictions for the meet here . This event filled the gap caused by the end of the Foot Locker XC National Championships, a meet that was once a staple of American high school cross country for four decades. Here's how to follow all of the action this weekend... How To Watch The event will be live broadcast on FloTrack and FloTrack's YouTube page . To watch this race you will need a FloTrack subscription to watch on their website, or you can watch the broadcast for free on their You Tube account. The live broadcast is set to begin at 9:15am PST/12:15pm EST. You can keep track of your favorite runners through the live results . Race Schedule The Brooks XC Championships start on Saturday, December 13th with the competition beginning at the following times listed in PST and EST. Girl's 5k -- 9:15am PST / 12:15pm EST Boy's 5k  -- 10:05am PST / 1:05pm EST

Written by Aimee Mackenzie, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin The 31st rendition of the European XC Championships in Lagoa, Portugal will feature many current international collegiate stars, and numerous collegiate alum. Here's how to keep updated on the upcoming grass championship... How To Watch The event will be live broadcast starting at 9:00am Western European Time or 4:00am Eastern Standard Time on European Athletics's website . This broadcast is free to view, but you must register an account with European Athletics to view it. There are also 15 different country-specific broadcasts with the details on this coverage located here . T he entry lists and results for this championship can be found on the Lagoa 2025 website . Race Schedules The European XC Championship races begin on Sunday, December 14th with the competition beginning at the following times listed in local time and EST. Women's U20 4.29k -- 9:30am WET / 4:30am EST Men's U20 4.29k -- 10:00am WET / 5:00am EST Women's U23 5.79k -- 10:26am WET / 5:26am EST Men's U23 5.79k -- 11:00am WET / 6:00am EST Mixed Relay (4x1500 meters) -- 11:30am WET / 6:30am EST Senior Women's 7.29k -- 12:00pm WET / 7:00am EST Senior Men's 7.29k -- 12:41pm WET / 7:41am EST Who is Competing? Here are all of the current collegiate athletes set to compete in the U20 and U23 European XC Championships this weekend... Women's U20 European XC Championships: Olivia Alessandrini (Louisville) - Italy Carolina Correia (SMU) - Portugal Anna Gardiner (Providence) -  Ireland Ines Herault (Indiana) - Spain Emily Junginger (Utah) - Germany Eliza Nicholson (Louisville) - Great Britain Anastasia Nilsson (Georgia) - Sweden Austra O š ina (Drake) - Lativa Women's U23 European XC Championships: Karolina Bliuj ū te (CBU)  - Lithuania Julia David-Smith (Washington) - France Alise Petrova (Florida Gulf Coast) - Latvia Ava O’Connor (Adams State) - Ireland Anika Thompson (Oregon) - Ireland Eleonora Vi š nevsky t ė (CBU) -  Lithuania Jasmine Wood (New Mexico) - Great Britain (Reserve)   Men's Under 20 European XC Championships: Cormac Dixon (Providence) - Ireland Cillian Gleeson (Wisconsin) - Ireland (Reserve) Noah Harris (Tennessee) - Ireland Kristers Kudlis (Georgia) - Latvia Paul-Mathieu Lannuzel (Illinois) - France Men's Under 23 European XC Championships: William Aitken (Georgia) - Great Britain (Reserve) Gustav Bendsen (Louisville) - Denmark Alexander Bozhilov (UT-Dallas) - Bulgaria Dean Casey (Colorado) - Ireland (Reserve) Aurélien Radja (Wake Forest) - France