It's the greatest time of the year!
While the leaves are still a few weeks from falling and football has yet to kick off, the first signs of fall can be seen out on the grass as cross country runners from across The Bay State have started opening up their high school seasons.
With the 2026 season officially underway, MileSplit will spend the day breaking down the upcoming cross country season in Massachusetts. We'll take a look at the top teams, athletes to watch, returning standouts, and storylines that could shape the season as the road to the state championships begins.
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Flagg vs Flagg
Last season, it came down to the set of twins from Whitinsville Christian in the MIAA Division 2A-2B-2C Championships, Emily and Abby Flagg, and it looks like it will be another showdown between the two once again in November.
Emily is coming off a strong outdoor season, which yielded a state title in the 2-mile, a 3rd-place finish at state in the one-mile, and a 6th-place finish in the 5,000m at Nike Outdoor Nationals. The senior is the fastest returner in Massachusetts in 2026, having run 17:17 at the MSTCA Bob Glennon Twilight last October, and will once again be considered the favorite to bring home another title.
Abby is the 3rd fastest returner in Massachusetts, setting a personal best time of 17:36 last December in Huntsville, Alabama. The rising senior had a quiet spring, but finished second in the one-mile at the MIAA Indoor State Championships in February.
It should be a fun farewell season for the sisters from Whitinsville.
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Lexington Boys Return 5
Brookline ran away with the 1A Championship last fall, but Lexington will enter this fall as the team to beat in the Bay State.
The Minutemen return their low-stick, Patrick Noonan, who finished 3rd at last year's 1A state championship, crossing the line in 15:42. They return four other runners who ran sub-16:00 in the 5K last fall.
Could this be the year Lexington wins its first All-State Championship?
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And the Girls Are Looking To Go Back-to-Back
After a second-place finish in 2024, the Lexington girls won their first state title since 2016, and they enter this fall with the best returning lineup in Massachusetts.
The Minutemen are led by Jane Conrad, who finished 3rd at the state meet last season. The rising junior is the second-fastest returner in the Bay State, having run 17:18 at the ML-12 Championships.
The team's strength comes from their depth, as their #2 through #5 runners are separated by just six seconds (18:16-18:22).
Lexington is slated to open their season on September 12th at the Clipper Relays in Newburyport.
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Who's The Top Boy in Massachusetts?
The discussion surrounding the title of Massachusetts' top distance runner is far more open-ended in 2026 than it has been in years past.
Liam Hartmann is the top-ranked returner in the Bay State, having run 15:04 en route to his second win of the season last October. The rising senior from Brookline will be tasked with leading one of the state's best programs in 2026, while also chasing his first individual championship.
Colin Kurtz finished 9th at last season's state meet and is the third-fastest returner in Massachusetts. The senior finished 2nd in four races last season and will be hoping to break through in a big way in his final high school season.
Leon Ibanez Fraile and Anthony Malakidis are two more returning seniors who should make an impact at a high level this fall. Both picked up good experience this spring, running at their respective MIAA state championships in May. The distance standout from North Attleboro finished 3rd in the Division 3 one-mile and will look to carry that momentum into his final cross country season.
Noah Geiger is the top returning junior and will be hoping to improve upon his personal best time of 15:32 that he ran last October, while Mason Niles, another rising junior, will be chasing the senior class alongside him.
While we left plenty off the list, there will be a lot of intrigue at the top of the state leaderboards this fall and should make for a fun postseason.