ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• All athletes must be current USATF members and be in good standing.
• Only U.S. citizens, aliens living in the United States, and foreign exchange students are eligible to compete.
• Competitors must compete in their own age division; no “moving up” in events, including relays.

DATE OF BIRTH (DOB) VERIFICATION

• USATF National Championships require that the registrants are date-of-birth (DOB) verified.  For full details on the submission process and requirements, please see the USATF Date of Birth Verification Policy web page.
• Documents submitted for DOB verification must be received no later than five business days prior to the registration deadline of the event. Verification may take up to five business days.
• DOB verification will not be accepted by nor uploaded by USATF National Office. Procedures for submitting these documents must be adhered to. There are no exceptions.
• If a document is incomplete, it will be invalidated and not processed. Invalidated documents will not result in an extension of the submission deadline for resubmission.
• Valid documents will remain a permanent part of the member profile and will not require re-submission.

• Advancement from the Regional Championships to the National Championships follows USA Track & Field Rule 306.3:
• The top 30 individual finishers qualify, with no alternates.
• Athletes who finish in the top 30 and are also members of a qualifying team still retain their individual qualifying spot.
• A team qualifies if at least five of its athletes finish in the top 30 at Regionals.
• No team finishing 6th or lower can advance simply because a higher-placing qualifying team declines to participate.

• Date: December 12, 2026
• Location: Lafayette, Louisianna
• Website: 2026 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships