About
The University Cross Country Race was first raced by teams from Oxford and Cambridge University in 1880 over a course starting and finishing at the Royal Oak, Oxford. It is now the second oldest inter-club cross country competition in the world, only behind The National.
Hosted on neutral territory by Thames Hare & Hounds, the oldest cross country club in the world, since 1896 the Wimbledon Common course offers an unrivalled experience to the student athletes who take part.
A rivalry that spans nearly 150 years those amateur student athletes who are lucky enough to be selected for the team follow in the footsteps of greats such as Sir Roger Bannister and Sir Christopher Chataway.
The University Cross Country Races are a unique eight-a-side, six-to-score format. Run over 7½ miles (men)/ 4 miles (women) the courses including the iconic water splash as well as the hilly 'Butts' a mile from the finish.
Held in London the match is well attended by spectators who add to the special atmosphere, chasing the runners round the course.
Historical Results
Race Report
A race report from last year's University Cross Country Races can be found here:
The University Cross Country Races 2026
135th Gentlemen's Race & 50th Ladies' Race
Saturday, 5 December 2026
Thames Hare and Hounds' Headquarters, Memorial Playing Fields, Wimbledon Common, SW15 3PQ
Order of Events
1:00 p.m. 34th Old Blues' Race (4 miles) (Mob Match)
2:00 p.m. 50th Ladies' Race (4 miles) (Eight-a-side, six-to-score)
2:45 p.m. 135th Gentlemen's Race (7½ miles) (Eight-a-side, six-to-score)
Map of the courses. Ladies' and Old Blues' course is: Start - A - B - C - D - E - J - K - L - Finish. Gentlemen's course is: Start - A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - D - E - J - K - L - Finish.
In the Blues' Match, both the men's and women's teams are composed of eight runners (six to score). Full rules can be found in the document below.
The Old Blues' Race is run as a ‘Mob Match', with the number of scorers for each team being equal to the size of the smallest team. Anyone (alumni, current students, family/friends of students/alumni) is welcome to run in the race, however, only people who have graduated from either university will be counted as scorers. Those who have graduated from both universities are able to nominate who they run for.