Iowa State Cross Country Meet to Begin October 30

The 2026 state meet at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge will feature top teams and runners from across Iowa.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Running

Iowa State Cross Country Meet to Begin October 30

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The 2026 Iowa high school state cross country meet is set to take place on October 30 and October 31 at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge. Teams and individual runners from the Ames region are among those competing for state titles after qualifying through recent local meets.

Why it matters

The event serves as the culmination of the high school season, where long-standing team streaks and individual records are put to the test. Athletes who successfully qualified in previous weeks will compete to determine this year's state champions across all classifications.

Logan Bleich enters the meet with a 14:38.5 5k time from the Roy Griak Invitational, well ahead of the current state meet record of 14:48.3. Meanwhile, the Gilbert boys look to secure their fourth consecutive 3A title.

The players

Gilbert

This school district fields a boys cross country team that has won three consecutive 3A state championships.

Logan Bleich

He is a top runner who previously won the Roy Griak Invitational with a time of 14 minutes and 38.5 seconds.

Collins-Maxwell

This school maintains a cross country program currently ranked fourth in the 1A classification by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches.

Jacob Tallman

He is a standout runner projected to contend for a top placement in the 3A division alongside teammate Logan Bleich.

The details

The meet features multiple classifications competing for top rankings, including the Collins-Maxwell girls team, which is currently ranked fourth in 1A by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Runners like Logan Bleich and Jacob Tallman are highlighted as key favorites in the 3A division following their performances earlier this season.

October 30, 2026: 1A and 2A races occur at the state meet.
October 31, 2026: 3A and 4A races occur at the state meet.

Season Trajectory

The 2026 meet serves as the final test for programs like Gilbert that have established historical dominance in recent cycles. Performance at this event will define the year's legacy and determine whether previous records are surpassed or maintained by the state's top contenders.

The meet will determine the official 2026 state championship rankings and settle the competitive math for the 1A through 4A divisions. Fans and analysts will watch to see if Logan Bleich can translate his sub-14:48.3 pace into an official state record.

The takeaway

The state meet highlights the depth of Iowa high school distance running as top programs vie for historical consistency. Fans should monitor the final team scores and individual 5k times to see how the 2026 results compare to previous records set on the Fort Dodge course.