IRVING, Texas – Texas Tech's Titus Kimaru (men's) and Arizona's Mercy Chepkemoi (women's) earned Big 12's Week Seven Runner of the Week Honors. 

Kimaru completed an undefeated regular season, winning the Arturos Barrios Invite with an 8k time of 22:43.1, an eight second victory. The men's field featured 11 of the South-Central Region's top 15 teams. This performance also earned him a USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week Honor and his fourth Big 12 Runner of the Week Honor. 

Chepkemoi finished fifth at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational with a time of 19:19.1 in the 6k, this is her second collegiate top-five finish. The women's field featured seven of the top 30 Division I teams, including No.1 NC State, No. 2 BYU, and No. 7 Notre Dame.  

The Big 12 Cross Country Championship will take place Saturday, Oct. 31 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  

2026 Big 12 Runner of the Week – Oct. 20 

Men's Runner of the Week 

Titus Kimaru – Texas Tech 

Women's Runner of the Week 

Mercy Chepkemoi - Arizona