Iowa State’s Betty Kipkore (women’s) and Texas Tech’s Titus Kimaru (men’s) captured the first Big 12 Runner of the Week awards for the 2025 cross country season, each emerging victorious in their first collegiate cross country meet.

Kimaru outpaced the field by 20 seconds at the Lori Fitzgerald Memorial Open in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The sophomore from Kenya ran along the fairways of the NMSU Golf Course in 13:52 to complete the 5K race and secure a 1-2 finish for the Red Raiders, besting runners from No. 2 New Mexico, host New Mexico State and seven other schools. It marks the fifth time a Texas Tech men’s runner earned weekly cross country recognition from the Big 12 since the start of the 2024 season.

Kipkore led Iowa State to a team title at the Cyclone Preview race, part of a group of four ISU runners to finish in the top six. Kipkore, who missed the cross country portion of her freshman season with an injury, traversed the Cross Country Course in Ames with a 5K time of 16:44, leading most of the race comfortably. It is ISU’s first Big 12 Runner of the Week honor since September 19, 2023.

2025 BIG 12 RUNNERS OF THE WEEK – Sept. 2

Men’s Runner of the Week
Titus Kimaru, Texas Tech, So.

Women’s Runner of the Week
Betty Kipkore, Iowa State, R-Fr..