JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven cross country teams have announced its 2016 schedule, which will begin on Sept. 2 and conclude with the Blazers hosting the NCCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 12.
 
The season begins with the Blazers' first trip to Choctaw Trails in its opener with Mississippi College Sept. 2. The women will run a 4K at 5 p.m., with the men to follow 30 minutes after with a 5K.  

The following Friday night, the Green and Gold will make the trek to Tyler, Texas for the Braveheart Invitational for another twilight meet. Both the men and women will run a 5K race.
 
Belhaven's final meet in September will be at Rhodes College, where the Blazers return to Memphis for the first time since 2013. The women will run their first 6K of the year at 9:15 a.m., while the men compete in their first 8K at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 17.
 
After a week off, the Blazers return to the course on Oct. 1 for a meet at East Texas Baptist before making the journey to Towson, Md. for the Goucher College Cross Country Classic on Oct. 8. The men's 8K will run at 9:30 a.m., while the women's 6K will commence at 10:15 a.m.
 
The Green and Gold return to Choctaw Trails on Oct. 15 for the Choctaw Open. The women's 5K will run at 8:30 a.m., with the men running at 9:15 a.m. in the 8K.
 
The regular season will conclude on Oct. 29 with the American Southwest Conference Championships hosted by Concordia University Texas in Austin. The women will run a 6K, and the men will run an 8K.
 
The season concludes with the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championships at Choctaw Trails. Belhaven will host the Championships for the 2016 and 2017 seasons for both NCCAA Divisions. The course is a mix of rolling hills and wooded trail, and it has a reputation of being one of the top courses in the country.
 
The weekend's festivities will begin Friday, Nov. 11 with Christian Service Projects and a banquet reception. The race will run on Saturday, Nov. 12.
 
The two-year commitment will be Belhaven's first opportunity to host an NCCAA Championship.