Women’s cross country became a varsity sport at Haverford in 1987 and has grown into a perennial conference, regional, and national contender.

The program's rich tradition extends back to Rachel Mosher ’99, who was the Centennial Conference's Runner of the Year in 1998, and the team rebounded from a runner-up Centennial finish to qualify for its fourth NCAAs at regionals. A succession of top runners has brought individual conference titles home to Haverford eight times and led their squadmates to strong team finishes. Tamara Lave ’90, Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) cross country champion in 1988 and 1989 and an All-American in the 10,000 meters as a senior, became a deputy public defender in San Diego and wrote a "My Turn" column in Newsweek magazine. She was the top American finisher in the Suzuki Rock'n'Roll Marathon in May 1999 and 19th in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. In 2003, she was chosen to represent the United States in the marathon at the World Championships in Paris.

Four-time all-American Jen Maranzano ’94, who won the MAC in 1991 and 1992; the Centennial in 1993 and the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional in 1993 and 1994, is a government lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Five-time all-American and two-time Centennial runner of the year Meredith Unger ’97 won an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Kristen Wilson ’03, the Centennial’s Runner of the Year in 2001, was a first-team academic all-district selection in 2003. Harper Hubbeling ’11 won an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2011.

During Fran Rizzo's tenure, the Fords have qualified for the Division III cross country nationals 17 times as of the completion of the 2019 season. The team's best finish came in 1993, when the Fords finished 10th. In 2002, Jane Steinemann ’04 earned All-American honors by finishing 15th overall in the national meet and leading Haverford to a 12th place finish in the country. In 2007, Annick Lamar ’08 Haverford's sixth All-American, while Emily Lipman ’12 added her name to the list in 2009. Fiona Hendry ’16 is the team’s most recent All-American with a 23rd place finish during the 2012 season as she helped the Fords place 13th overall.