The road to the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is reaching its final stretch, as the nation’s top collegiate athletes converge on regional sites for the all-important first round of competition. This year marks the 103rd edition of the men’s championship and the 43rd for the women — a legacy-rich showdown set to culminate at the iconic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

While the West First Round is proceeding as planned at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, major changes have shaken up the East First Round originally scheduled at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. But in a move that has raised eyebrows across the track community, organizers have dramatically altered the event schedule: track events will now begin at 10:00 p.m., starting with the 110m hurdles for both men and women. The most shocking shift? The men’s and women’s 10,000-meter semifinals are now slated to begin at 12:55 a.m., pushing athletes to compete deep into the night — a stark contrast to the original 9:10 p.m. slot.

That means distance runners — renowned for their endurance and mental resilience — will now be lacing up under the stadium lights in the quietest hours of the night. It’s not just a physical challenge anymore; it’s a battle against the body’s internal clock. Track and field journalist Jonathan Gault echoed this sentiment on social media, posting shortly after the announcement: “Competing after midnight isn’t ideal for anyone. But man, I feel bad for the 10,000m runners who have to run one of the biggest races of the season — and for some, their final race as a collegian — at 1 in the morning. It’s a 4-day meet. Is this really the best option?” A valid point, grounded in reason.

Meanwhile, fellow track expert Jonathan Levitt didn’t hold back, labeling the updated schedule as simply “Insane.” However, this is not the first time the schedule has faced changes because of weather reasons. Still, this isn’t the first time the NCAA schedule has been reshuffled because of weather-related concerns, and it likely won’t be the last.

Another NCAA track and field contest faced changes in the schedule 

The 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships saw another scheduling shake-up, and once again, it was the athletes who had to roll with the punches. So what happened? On Saturday, May 24, the NCAA announced a last-minute adjustment to the final day of competition at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. With forecasters predicting rough weather to move into the Pueblo area late Friday (May 23), officials made the call to move up all running events, aiming to beat the storm before it hit.

As a result, the meet wrapped unusually early, with the final whistle blowing around 6:10 p.m. CT. But while safety always comes first, the abrupt change left many athletes scrambling to adjust warm-ups, race strategies, and recovery plans. For some, it meant rushing into one of the biggest performances of their careers with less prep time than expected. So, it’s yet another reminder that in outdoor track and field, Mother Nature is always the wild card — and when she shows up uninvited, athletes are forced to adapt on the fly.