The Gahanna Lincoln boys cross country team hit the ground running Monday, opening its 2026-27 season with a 2-mile time trial at the new high school building.

Head coach Ryan Beck's squad took to the course at 7 p.m. Aug. 3 for the scrimmage-style opener, the same evening the defending Division I state champion girls team held its own time trials on the same course. We covered the girls team's title defense launch on Aug. 4.

@GLHS_Athletics: "Here come the BOYS! 2026 Cross Country Time Trials."

The boys program enters the fall with a full 12-event schedule that stretches through the OHSAA State Championships on Nov. 7 at Fortress Obetz in Obetz. That's the same venue where the Gahanna Lincoln girls captured the program's first-ever Division I state title on Nov. 1, 2025, scoring 81 points to beat runner-up Hilliard Davidson by 55, according to the Columbus Dispatch.

Beck, listed as head coach on the school's athletics directory, leads a boys program that has not yet published a roster for 2026-27.

The Lions' first away meet is the Dan Reid Invitational on Aug. 29 at Whitehall Community Park in Columbus, hosted by Whitehall-Yearling. The schedule fills nearly every Saturday through October: the Hot Summer Bash at Hilliard Davidson on Sept. 5, the McGowan Invitational at Watkins Memorial in Pataskala on Sept. 12, the Celtic Clash at Dublin Jerome on Sept. 19, the Bob Reall Invitational at Lancaster on Sept. 26, the Berlin Bear Dash at Olentangy Berlin in Delaware on Oct. 3 and the Les Eisenhart Invitational at Thomas Worthington on Oct. 10.

The postseason push begins with the OCC Championships on Oct. 17 at Westerville North at 9:30 a.m., followed by OHSAA Regionals on Oct. 31 at Pickerington North.

Gahanna Lincoln won back-to-back OCC All-Sports Ralph Young Awards for 2025-26, posting 11 first-place finishes across all sports.

Senior Night is set for Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Gahanna Lincoln, paired with a time trial. The state meet at Fortress Obetz on Nov. 7 closes the season.