Organisers NCAA Date November 23, 1981 Athletes participating 191–Men
113–Women | Edition 43rd (Men)
1st (Women) Location Echo Hills Golf Course | |
Host city Park City, KS
Wichita State University | ||
The 1981 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships were the 43rd annual NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship and the 1st annual NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship to determine the team and individual national champions of NCAA Division I men's and women's collegiate cross country running in the United States. For the first time, a women's national championship was held alongside the men's meet. In all, four different titles were contested: men's and women's individual and team championships.
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Held on November 23, 1981, the combined meet was hosted for the second consecutive year by Wichita State University at the Echo Hills Golf Course in Park City, Kansas. The distance for the men's race was 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) while the distance for the women's race was 5 kilometers (3.11 miles).
The men's team national championship was retained again by the UTEP Miners, their seventh, and fourth consecutive, overall title. The individual championship was won by South African runner Matthews Motshwarateu, also from UTEP, with a time of 28:45.80. UTEP's score remains the best team score in event history.
The inaugural women's team national championship was won by the Virginia Cavaliers, their first. The individual championship was won by Betty Springs, from NC State, with a time of 16:19.00. Given that this was the first edition of this race, Springs' time set the event's distance record.