!! Important deadlines !!
Eligibility forms are due for the Spring season on March 21st, 2025!
T&F Nationals registration closes on 3/27, and NIRCA Half Marathon registration closes on 3/29.
T&F Nationals Proofs of Performance are due by 3/27.

Eligibility Eligibility

Eligbility Requirements
If all eligibility criteria below are met, the club and its athletes may participate in NIRCA competition.


Individual RequirementsTeam Requirements
  • Must be a full-time student, graduate or undergraduate. Exceptions made for final-semester/-quarter students
  • In good academic standing with the university
  • Must be recognized member of a NIRCA member club
  • No limitation to the # of years of eligibility for NIRCA athletes
  • No competitive advantage:Cannot be an individually-sponsored or paid athlete, cannot receive additional coaching or resource not available to other club members (a NIRCA athlete cannot be training with the varsity team)
  • Must have completed the participation waiver on clubrunning.org prior to event registration
  • Must appear on the club’s eligibility form
  • Must be registered for the event prior to the registration deadline
  • Must be in good standing with NIRCA (including financial)
  • Must have completed all documentation by deadlines (Letter of Intent to Participate/NIRCA Membership Renewal)
  • All dues paid and received


Additional Race Requirements


Fall Cross Country NationalsSpring Track & Field / Half Marathon Nationals
  • The club must submit the eligibility form by 10/15/2024 to ensure club athletes are full time students in good standing. The form must be verified by the university registrar. (See the Eligibility section for more details)
  • The club must have a full team participate at Regionals; there are no prerequisites to go to Regionals - simply sign up before the deadline
  • Any eligible athlete can be registered for Cross Country Nationals; the race division in which they’ll compete depends on club leader selection & Regionals finishing position (see more)
  • The club must submit the eligibility form by 03/21/2025 to ensure club athletes are full time students in good standing. The form must be verified by the university registrar. (See below for more details)
  • No other individual or team participation prerequisites to attend Nationals - simply sign up before the deadline


Eligibility Forms
Download the NIRCA Eligibility Form
Eligibility Form

Eligibility forms are required each season (2x/year) for all NIRCA Championship events (Regionals or Nationals). If an eligibility form is not received or the club has not communicated with NIRCA before the deadline, the team will be automatically removed from the event entry list.

The purpose of the Eligibility Form is to ensure that all athletes competing in NIRCA events are current students in good standing with the university. As such, Eligibility Forms must be submitted once per season to verify the academic eligibility of each student athlete and their standing with the university/club. For example, a club that participates at both Fall and Spring Nationals will submit two eligibility forms in a given school year.

Eligibility forms are not a substitute for event registration. In fact, best practice is to include any and all athletes who could potentially participate in NIRCA competition that season on the Eligibility Form. The decision to register for an event can come at a later time.

Eligibility forms must be emailed to NIRCA Eligibility before the deadline.

For the current school year...

  • Fall eligibility forms are due on or before: 10/15/2024
  • Spring eligibility forms are due on or before: 03/21/2025

Questions about eligibility may be directed to eligibility@clubrunning.org.

Additional information about eligibility can be found in the NIRCA Club Leader Guide.


Qualifying Criteria
As an inclusive organization, NIRCA eligibility - the right to participate in NIRCA competition - is not based on athletic ability/performance.

However, for top athletes, if specific performance criteria are met, an athlete can qualify into certain competitive divisions of NIRCA events where available.

  • Fall Cross Country Nationals: For more information about qualifying standards and race divisions, see the Championship Competition section of the NIRCA Club Leader Guide.
  • Spring Track & Field Nationals: The automark is a qualification benchmark that guarantees high-performing athletes entry into the fastest heat or flight of an event when athletes submit proof that they have exceeded the standard. All other athletes are seeded based on projected performance. For more information about the Automark, see the Prior Performance form.


Eligibility FAQ
  1. Can I run unattached?
    No, as an organization for collegiate clubs, all athletes participating in NIRCA events must be recognized members of a NIRCA member club. Coaches, sponsors, and other non-student members of NIRCA clubs are not eligible to compete in NIRCA collegiate divisions.
  2. For cross country regionals, can my club attend a regional meet for a different region (that we don’t belong to)?
    No, all clubs must attend the cross country Regional meet for their associated region or attendance will not be counted toward the Regional participation requirement to attend Nationals.
  3. I’m an athlete on my university’s varsity team. Can I compete in NIRCA?
    No, only club athletes may participate. Athletes with the opportunity to receive the advantage of their association with the school’s varsity team (which could be but are not limited to: coaching, scholarship, resources like tutoring or meal stipends) are not eligible for NIRCA competition.
  4. I’m a grad student. How many years of NIRCA eligibility do I have?
    There is no limit to the years you may compete in NIRCA as long as you are considered a full-time undergrad or grad student whose status can be verified by the university registrar.
  5. Which events do I need to participate in to be eligible to Nationals?
    For Fall Cross Country Nationals, individual athletes must have participated in at least one Qualifying Race (see the NIRCA fall event schedule for Qualifying event icons) – Qualifying Races include, but do not have to be, Regionals. The club also has to have had a full team participate at Regionals.

    For Spring Nationals, there are no participation prerequisites to attend.