Cross country at Seattle Pacific began as a fall conditioning program for track athletes in the early Fifties. Ken Foreman, who became track coach in 1950, initiated the program soon after. Early on, the Falcons produced men's teams of national caliber.

Bernard Buck, who took over for Foreman from 1957-63, guided the team to four consecutive NAIA district titles. Seattle Pacific was sixth nationally in 1961 and seventh in 1962. Foreman returned in 1964 and two years later took the Falcons to second at the NCAA Pacific Coast Regional.

The women's program is rooted in the Falcon Track Club, a women's elite program founded by Foreman. Doris Brown (Heritage) was Foreman's star harrier on those original FTC teams. She was among several women who went on to run for the U.S. National Team, and won an unprecedented five consecutive IAAF World Championships from 1967-71.

In 1976, the first varsity women's program began competing, and Debbie Quatier, who had previously run for FTC, won the regional meet while leading the Falcons to second overall. By 1979, Heritage succeeded Foreman as coach and SPU won its first regional crown and went on to finish second nationally in the AIAW Championships. It was the first of 11 times the women qualified for national meets. They have placed as high as third at the NCAA Championships in 1983 and '86, and have finished among the top 10 each of the past three seasons. Since becoming a Pacific West Conference sport six years ago, SPU has won five titles.

Individually, there have been 19 All-America runners, including two national champions: Joan Corbin (1979 AIAW) and Bente Moe (1985 NCAA).

Seattle Pacific has hosted fall meets at a variety of locations, but none more so than Camp Casey on Whidbey Island. Foreman began the Coupeville Invitational on the former seaside army base in 1964, just before the university acquired the land from the government. The Casey Invitational--with a signature stage running up a wooded trail and looping around an historic lighthouse--was held on an annual basis through 1993, and meets continue to be run there on a semi-annual basis.