FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's and women's cross country teams return to action on Friday, September 19, competing in the Main Line Invitational hosted by Haverford College. The first race is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. The Patriots will compete at 4:45 p.m. for Women's 5k and at 5:30 p.m. for Men's four-mile.

The Patriots are coming off a solid start to the 2025 season at the Spider Alumni Open in Richmond, where the men finished fifth and the women placed seventh in a competitive regional field. Leading the way were junior Biruk Beardsley and senior Ella Semple, who both earned Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week honors for their efforts.

Beardsley clocked a time of 18:02.5 in the 6K, finishing among the top individuals and pacing the Mason men. Semple ran 13:36.4 over the 4K distance, leading the Patriot women against a strong field that included Virginia, William & Mary, and Richmond.

"Following the opening race at Richmond, we've had a very solid block of training that bodes well for us to be able to build on the solid performances from three weeks ago," said head coach Andrew Gerrard. "We'll open up a few more racers, look to continue to refine our racing plan for the year and make some physical progress at Haverford. The team energy is really positive so we're mainly seeking to use this meet to springboard us into the heart of the season in October."

The Main Line Invitational annually draws top competition from across the Mid-Atlantic region, offering Mason another valuable opportunity to test its depth and refine racing strategies. Several Patriots will make their season debuts on Friday as the team continues preparations for the championship stretch.

What's Next
Following Friday's race, Mason will travel to Bethlehem, Pa., to compete in the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University on Friday, October 3. The first race is set for 9 a.m. ET.