We are marathon runners and endurance athletes who have trained, raced, and completed an equal distance event and we are calling on the NCAA to adopt equal race distances in men's and women's collegiate cross country running. We believe in Equality in Sport.

We have demonstrated something simple and undeniable: men and women are equally capable of completing the same distance at running events.

Yet in NCAA cross country running, unequal race distances persist. At the NCAA Championships women race 6 kilometers, while men race longer distances—10 kilometers in Divisions I and II and 8 kilometers in Division III. This unequal structure, which has been in place since 1981,  reinforces outdated assumptions about who is capable of endurance and undermines principles of fairness and equal opportunity in collegiate sport.

Endurance athletes and sports physiologists have proven what is possible: Men and women train the same, race the same distances, and excel at the highest levels of competition. Equal distance is not experimental—it is proven. In World Cross Country, there is a 10k event for both men and women. In Ironman triathlon, men and women both race 140.6 miles. In marathons, as you know, every participant runs 26.2 miles. To have women run less than men at the collegiate level is outdated and discriminatory. 

As runners, we call on the NCAA to:

• Adopt equal race distances for all athletes in NCAA cross country. Suggested 8km for men and women in Divisions I, II and III.  
• Align collegiate competition with principles of equality, fairness, and respect
• Send a clear message to young athletes that opportunity and distance in sport is not limited for women. 

Completing an endurance event is a test of preparation, resilience, and determination. The race distance--and the opportunity to race--must not change based on which sex is on the starting line.

We demand the NCAA to take this necessary and overdue step to equalize race distances for Cross Country Running.

Signed,

Molly Peters
#EqualDistance Founder
Head XC & Track Coach, St. Michael’s College

Marathon Runners in Support of Equal NCAA Distance-

Kathrine Switzer - First woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, NYC women's marathon winner 1974.
Kara Goucher- Women's Olympic Marathon 2012 (11th place), NYC Marathon 2008 (3rd place), Boston Marathon 2009 (3rd place). 
Deena Kastor- Bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Olympics, 2005 Chicago Marathon and the 2006 London Marathon winner.
Bill Rodgers -  4-time Boston Marathon Men's Winner. 4-time NYC Marathon Men's Winner.
Fiona O'Keeffe- 2024 Women's Olympic Trials marathon winner. 2025 finished 4th in the women's NYC marathon.
Ben True - 6th Men's World XC Championships 2013, 7th NYC Marathon 2021. Men's Distance Coach Dartmouth College.
Mark Coogan - 1996 Olympic marathoner. 2000 Olympic trials 3rd. Elite Coach - Team  New Balance Boston
Kasie Enman- 3-time Vermont City Marathon winner. World Mountain Running Champion 2011, 3-time US Marathon Trials qualifier.
Emily Durgin - 9th in the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials 2024. US Champion at the USATF 10-mile Championship 2024. 
Josh Izewski - 8th in the Men's Olympic Marathon Trials 2024.