History of the Southern Stampede

Since 1988 Missouri Southern has hosted the Southern Stampede. When long-time coach Tom Rutledge founded the event just a few college-aged cross country teams attended. Now Southern Stampede is one of the biggest cross country meets in the country and continues to grow. The meet brings in over 2,000 high school and college athletes yearly. The meet is held on Missouri Southern’s very own cross country course, a 5k loop that starts north of the MSSU cross country gateway and finishes at the gateway. With over 2,000 athletes and their family members visiting Missouri Southern, the stampede pulls in revenue for not only the school but the surrounding area too.