Originally posted by UniSport Australia
University runners from across Australia competed in the 2026 UniSport Nationals Cross Country Championships at Victoria Park, Ballarat on 22–23 August in tough and muddy conditions.
Held in conjunction with the 2026 Australian Cross Country Championships, UniSport’s competition featured Open Women and Men 10km, U20 Women 6km, U20 Men 8km and Multi Class Open 3km categories.
The partnership with Athletics Australia’s national championship created a competitive environment, giving student-athletes the opportunity to test themselves against leading runners while representing their universities.
The Australian National University’s Olivia Sivills took out the UniSport women’s Open 10km in 41:24:00, with teammate Bridget Lunn finishing second in 41:32:00. The pair also recorded top ten finishes in the full Australian Cross Country Championships field, with Olivia placing seventh and Bridget eighth.
The University of Melbourne’s Edward Marks claimed gold in the UniSport men’s Open 10km in 32:23:00, whilst also finishing third overall in a standout result.
Claudia Meaker (University of Technology Sydney) won the UniSport women’s U20 6km in 25:07:00, whilst finishing eighth in the full field. Ally Brooks (La Trobe University) was second in the UniSport competition in a time of 25:17:00 and ninth overall, adding another medal to her collection after she won gold in the 10km at the UniSport Nationals Distance Running in July.
The University of Sydney’s Huon Groves took out the men’s U20 8km in 29:18:00.
Tamsin Colley (UNSW Sydney) claimed the UniSport women’s Multi Class Open 3km title in 17:04:00, placing second overall.
UNSW Sydney recorded a podium finish in the Australian Athletics Cross Country Relay Championship, with Ryan Gilmour, Caitlyn Tan, Logan Campbell and Sophie Ferenczi finishing third. The relay was contested as part of the wider championships but was not an official UniSport Nationals event.
The UniSport field at Nationals included Australian UniRoos (UniRoos) Bridget Lunn (The Australian National University), Tom Bowers (Monash University), Rohan Hickey (Griffith University) and Aaron Nitschke (Adelaide University), who competed at the 2026 FISU World University Cross Country Championships in March.
The results saw The University of Melbourne finish on top in both the men’s and women’s university pennant standings. Melbourne successfully defended its men’s pennant after taking the title in 2025, finishing ahead of Adelaide University and The University of Queensland.
The women’s competition saw Melbourne improve on its 2025 result, moving from second place last year to claim the pennant in 2026. UNSW Sydney finished second, followed by The Australian National University in third.
The 2026 UniSport Nationals Cross Country Championship showcased the depth of university distance running, with students delivering strong performances against a competitive national field.
For full results from the 2026 Nationals Cross Country Championships, visit | 2026 UniSport Nationals Cross Country Championships Results
