FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's and women's cross country teams are set to open the 2025 season this Saturday, August 30, at the Richmond Spider Alumni Open hosted by the University of Richmond. The meet will take place at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va., with the first race scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

The Spider Alumni Open has become a staple in Mason's early-season schedule, providing the Patriots with an early opportunity to compete against strong regional programs and evaluate their progress at the start of the fall campaign.

This week, the Atlantic 10 Conference announced its preseason polls. Mason's men's team was picked third overall, trailing only Loyola Chicago and La Salle, according to the men's preseason poll. While the women's team was also selected third, behind Loyola Chicago and La Salle, in the women's preseason poll. Both squads will look to build on that recognition as they embark on the new season.

"While it's still very early for us from a training and racing perspective, we're primed to get the season underway!" said head coach Andrew Gerard. "On both sides, we return the core of our lineups from last year so there's some solid 'knowns' from the 2024 season, but there's always so much development that happens since the end of the last season, nine months ago and through the track season, that every year is just a really exciting new beginning. I'm very much anticipating seeing where people are at coming off of the summer!"

Associate head coach Tony Mihalich emphasized the strong foundation built during preseason. "Preseason went pretty well, and it was great to have the first few sessions back together," said Mihalich. "I think the team picked up on some positive new energy for this season, even though we only have two newcomers on the roster. That is a pretty good sign that the returners have developed, trained, and are eagerly stepping into new roles. The Spider Invite is always a fun one to kick the tires on. Pole Green feels like a home course for us now. It's early days, but we are excited to see where we are at!"

The meet will feature a 6k race for the men and a 4k race for the women. Mason will look to blend experienced returners with newcomers making their collegiate debuts in the Green and Gold.
 
Following the season opener, the Patriots will travel to Annapolis, Md., for the Navy Invitational on Saturday, September 6.