Located in the heart of one of America’s premier running scenes, Soka University provides a unique opportunity to distance runners that most California colleges can’t offer – miles and miles of running trails. Situated on the edge of the 4,200-acre Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park trail system, not only is there ample opportunity for trail running, but runs along the beaches of the Pacific Ocean are only a few miles away. Our location is unique, and is conducive to serious training.
The weather is also favorable for serious year round training. In the summer, the temperature only occasionally rises above 80 degrees, with relatively mild humidity. In the winter temperatures remain mild, with daily highs in the upper 60's and low 70's.
The Soka University women’s cross country team captured the 2012 Cal Pac women's cross country championship in the school's first year in the conference. This is also the first conference championship for Soka Athletics, as well as the first time that the women’s cross country team qualified for nationals let alone the first time any Soka team has qualified for national competition. The Cal Pac championship event was held on the campus of William Jessup University on Friday, November 2, 2012. Placing five runners in the top 12, the Lions finished with 41 team points and advanced to the NAIA national championships which was held in Vancouver, Wash., on November 17th. At this time Head Coach Gigi Charlson-Freeman also earned the 2012 Coach of the Year award. She is the first coach in the history of Soka Athletics to be honored with such an accolade.
