Mark Fairley, LRC Founder, Named Head XC Coach of NAIA Taylor University

By: LRC Staff

Upland, IN - In December 2025, Mark Fairley was named the head coach of Taylor University's XC program. Before taking the job, Fairley spent the last eight years working for Liberty University's XC and T&F programs, most recently serving as meet director and track & field facilities manager, and as an assistant coach, focusing on distance runners.

While at Liberty, Fairley also competed with the Liberty Triathlon Team.

Before arriving at LU, Fairley competed as a runner for Centra College in Iowa. He captured the men’s steeplechase national title at the 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships as a senior, improving one spot from his national runner-up spot in the 2017 steeplechase final. Fairley earned a third All-America certificate with his 26th-place showing at the 2017 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.

A seven-time Iowa Conference event champion, Fairley owns the Central College record in the steeplechase at 8:57.39. Other top marks from his collegiate career include 4:16.42 in the mile, 8:23.87 in the 3K, and 14:42.67 in the 5K.

Fairley was recognized by the USTFCCCA as Central Region Men’s Cross Country and Outdoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year as a senior. He was also named USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country National Athlete of the Week on Sept. 6, 2017, following his victory at the season-opening Dutch Invitational.

Fairley, who graduated from Central College with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a 3.825 GPA in 2018, earned numerous academic accolades as well. He was a 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-American and was named 2018 USTFCCCA NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Fairley is perhaps best known for starting the Liberty Running Club in the fall of 2020. Fairley started the club with a group of prospective walk-ons by running on Liberty Mountain; he moved the club meetings to the Mathes-Hopkins Track complex in April of 2021, where the club continues to meet to this day. Fairley also started the annual LRC Time Trial, which he continued to organize and run until his departure. Fairley served as the Club's first president and worked diligently to make the LRC an official club, a goal he achieved in the fall of 2021.

Always an encourager, Mark will be deeply missed. The Club wishes him the best of luck at Taylor!

-Photo Credit: Liberty University

Note: Portions of this article were taken from Mark's Liberty Track Bio. https://libertyflames.com/sports/cross-country/roster/coaches/mark-fairley/2553