FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason men's and women's cross country teams will hit the course once again this fall with a schedule that includes six regular season meets and the possibility of up to four championship meets. After hosting last year's CAA Championships, the Patriots will host one meet during the 2009 season, the Mason Invitational at Bull Run Park in Centreville, Va.

The annual Mason Invitational will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. The meet will be the Patriots first of the month of October and third of the season, following a pair of competitions in September. In the season's opening month, Mason will compete in the James Madison Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 12 and the Lou Onesty Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Following the Mason Invitational to begin the month of October, the Patriots will race in The Penn State National (Oct. 16) and the Blue Hen Classic (Oct. 17) before traveling to New Market Battlefield to compete in the CAA Championships, hosted by James Madison University on Saturday, Oct. 31. At last year's conference meet, Mason finished third on the men's side and 10th in the women's race.

After opening the month of November at the Cavalier Open on Saturday, Nov. 7, the Patriots will close the month with the possibility of running in three different championship meets. The NCAA Southeast Regional Championships are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky. The ECAC/IC4A Cross Country Championships are slated for the following Saturday, and the 2009 cross country season concludes on Monday, Nov. 23 with the NCAA Championships at LaVern Gibson Course in Terre Haute, Ind.