CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 9, 2026 — Virginia Union University's men's cross country team finished ninth among 27 scoring teams in the men's 8K Gold race at the Royals Challenge on Friday, October 9, as Abel Kipkemboi captured the individual championship and
Allan Kipkorir placed third.
Kipkemboi claimed the title in a personal-best time of 24:11.1, improving his previous season-best mark by 1 minute, 29.9 seconds. He edged Fayetteville State's Franklin Kipchirchir by one second to secure the victory.
Kipkorir also delivered a personal-best performance, crossing the finish line in 24:19.1 to earn third place among 248 runners. His time represented an improvement of 28.5 seconds and gave Virginia Union two of the top three finishers in the race.
The Panthers finished ahead of 18 scoring teams, including UNC Pembroke, Queens, Campbell, Mount Olive and North Greenville.
Rodgers Korir was Virginia Union's third finisher, placing 82nd in a season-best time of 25:50.8, an improvement of 21.6 seconds.
Marcus Merritt II followed in 93rd place with a personal-best 25:58.9, lowering his previous best by 58.0 seconds.
Keon Koonce completed the Panthers' scoring lineup with a personal-best time of 26:24.3, placing 123rd and improving his previous best by 49.9 seconds.
Jaiden Richardson rounded out Virginia Union's six finishers, recording a personal-best 28:38.5 to finish 221st. Richardson improved his previous best by 1 minute, 10.8 seconds.
Five of Virginia Union's six runners established personal records, while Korir recorded a season best. All six Panthers improved upon their previous season-best times, and four finished under the 26-minute mark.
"The entire men's team came ready to compete, and their hard work is paying off," said Virginia Union Head Cross Country Coach Franck Charles. "We're continuing to build momentum, push our limits, and get sharper as we prepare for the CIAA Championship! We know what we have on this roster, and we're not surprised by the progress. Now it's time to stay focused, trust the process, and keep putting in the work. We're not done yet!"
Virginia Union will next compete in the CIAA Cross Country Championship on Thursday, October 22, in Salem, Va.
