Marshall University Athletics
Rachael Withrow Becomes Marshall XC’s First 3x SBC Runner of the Week
10/7/2026 11:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Championship Fund | Relay Club
NEW ORLEANS – For the third time this season, Marshall Cross Country senior Rachael Withrow has been named the Sun Belt Conference Women's Runner of the Week, a first for the program in a single-season.
Withrow won the Louisville Classic Gold Race, racing a 5K time of 16:26, winning by nearly 45 seconds in a field of 240 runners.
In three meets for Marshall XC this season, Withrow has won all three races by an average of over 65 seconds. Her dominant campaign has landed the Winfield native to three SBC Runner of the Week awards, a feat no Thundering Herd runner has accomplished to date.
"Rachael's performances have been inspiring and motivating for the entire team! Winning Sun Belt Runner of the Week three times in one season is an incredible achievement, and we are so excited to see her hard work and consistency paying off," said Director of XC/TF Keith Roberts. "Rachael is an outstanding person and teammate and is very deserving of this award. She puts a tremendous amount of time and effort into both her academic program and her training, and her dedication is evident in everything she does."
"Congratulations to Rachael on this well-deserved accomplishment! We are excited to continue working hard and preparing for championship season!"
Withrow and the entire Marshall XC program is indeed gearing up for championship season. The Herd competes at the Morehead State Eagle Invitational next week in its final regular season meet before the SBC Championships take place on Friday, October 30. The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships takes place in November with the potential to qualify for the NCAA DI Championships later that month.
"Getting to work with Rachael has been so much fun as a coach," said Head XC Coach Caleb Bowen. "You can see how much joy running gives her. She loves to push herself and is always trying to help her teammates become the best that they can be. As we get closer to championship season, it's going to be exciting to see Rachael have fun and continue to set the bar high for us."
Follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @HerdTFXC for coverage all season long of Marshall cross country.
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