Gans Creek is the home of the Mizzou Men's and Women's cross country teams. The Gans Creek Cross Country Course opened on September 27, 2019 with the Gans Creek Classic. The 320-acre park is a state-of-the-art facility that has attracted state, regional and national meets to the mid-Missouri area. The course is host to the MSHSAA Cross Country Championships, the 2021 SEC Championships, the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Regional Championships.
NEXT UP: 2025 NCAA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
COURSE FEATURES
Located at Gans Creek Recreation Area on the southside of Columbia, the cross country course utilizes the rolling mid-Missouri terrain to its advantage to provide a challenging two and three kilometer loops that allow organizers to set up a diverse number of race distances with minimal switch points and turns. The venue is a premier environment to host local, state, regional, and national events.
- Loop Course- all distances made from the 2k and 3k loop
- The 2k loop includes rolling hills and sweeping, graded turns
- 3k loop has common first 1200 of the 2k loop and the last 1800m has wide turns to a slight uphill 300m finish
- Entire course irrigated and graded for drainage
- Spectator friendly facility includes a spectator berm, rising 12-15 feet above the final stretch
- Minimum course width is 10 meters throughout
- Starting line accommodates up to 42 teams