HERE’S THIS MONTH’S collection of short takes on generally off-track activities that have gone/will go a long way towards shaping the way the sport is headed.
HERE’S THIS MONTH’S collection of short takes on generally off-track activities that have gone/will go a long way towards shaping the way the sport is headed.
More High-End Meets For The U.S.?
USATF has announced that it is creating The USATF Tour for ’26. The hope is to elevate domestic pro track competition by coordinating schedules and helping with “financial, marketing and logistical support.”
The Tour will include WA-labeled meets along with others that are seeking to get attention from the international governing body.
Says Max Siegel, CEO of USATF, “The USATF Tour represents a collective investment in the future of our sport. It addresses some of the key challenges facing track & field in the United States including fragmented scheduling, overlapping events, and dispersed media coverage. Together with dedicated meet organizers from across the country, we can deliver stronger competition, a better fan experience, and greater value for athletes, partners, and communities.”
Where/When Are Next Year’s Big Invitationals?
The Diamond League schedule has been released for ’26. It again features 15 meets, kicking off in Doha, followed by the two Chinese fixtures, then Rabat. From June on, all of the meets will be held in Europe with the exception of the Pre Classic on July 04.
The DL Final cities have flip-flopped, and this year Brussels will host the 2-day event instead of Zürich. A week later will come the debut of the World Ultimate Championships, in Budapest, which will wrap the main part of the professional season. The as-yet announced meets of the Athlos League are expected to come after WA’s Budapest event.
The DL meets:
May
08—Doha; 16—Shanghai; 23 — Xiamen; 31—Rabat
June
04—Rome; 07—Stockholm; 10—Oslo; 26—Paris
July
04—Eugene; 10—Monaco; 18—London
August
21—Lausanne; 23—Chorzów; 27 — Zürich
September
04/05—Brussels
Ingebrigtsen Thinking Records
After a disappointing ’25, Jakob Ingebrigtsen wants to make sure he leaves a legacy in this sport. Smashing some World Records, he thinks, is a good start,
“I hope to take the World Record in 1500, mile and 5000,” he says. “If I can do that, I have to be happy. I have to look out for some events and dates where I can have the best chance of making some good attempts at it. Elisabeth [wife] and I have started looking at the dates. Monaco has been a very good race for many years, Paris is good. Silesia is very good. Those are races I have my eye on. And most likely Bislett. It’s always something I look forward to.”
At this point the Norwegian only holds two absolute WRs, the 2000 (4:43.18) and 3000 (7:17.55). He also claims the 2M best of 7:54.10. Indoors, he has the 1500/mile records of 3:29.63 and 3:45.14, set in the same race last winter.
How About XC In The Winter Olympics?
It’s an idea that’s been tossed around before, but this time, WA’s Seb Coe thinks there’s a real chance that cross country may be added to the Winter Olympics by the year 2030.
The current suggestion is that cross country running could share a course with a proposed cross country cycling (cyclocross) event. One of the main selling points is that it would increase worldwide participation in what for decades has been a primarily Northern Hemisphere event.
Said Coe, “I’ve always wanted to see cross country [last staged at Paris 1924] back in, for all sorts of reasons. Some are emotional but I actually think it’s a really important part of the progression for our endurance-based athletes.
“It would give Africa a proper presence in the Winter Games, which, if we’re being honest about it, it doesn’t really have. And sharing the same course in 2030 with cyclocross is really where our thinking has gone. I think there’s a good chance it will happen.”
Bol Surprise: How About Hurdling?
In a surprising end-of-season move, Femke Bol, the second-fastest 400 hurdler ever, has announced that she is leaving the barriers so that she can attack the 800.
Says the 2-time world champion and Olympic silver medalist, “The 400H has given me unforgettable memories and shaped me into the athlete I am today. The 800 is a completely new challenge — one that excites me because it will require fresh strengths, strategies, and resilience. My ambition is not just to compete but also to reach and be successful at the highest level.”
Says coach Laurent Meuwly, “Femke has always thrived on challenges. We believe her stride, strength, and mentality will allow her to adapt to the 800 and ultimately become a force on the global stage.”
Now 25, Bol has never raced an 800 officially. Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson said, “I think she’s got the talent to do really well. It might take some time to get up, learn the event. She’s never run with people around you trying to disrupt your race. That’s a whole different ball game. But I think she’ll smash it, and I’ll look forward to seeing what she does.”
Banned Chepngetich Gets To Keep WR
With a barrier-breaking 2:09:56 marathon at Chicago last year, Ruth Chepngetich shocked the world. Now she has been banned for 3 years after a positive test for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a common diuretic that is used as a masking agent.
The offending test came on March 14, but because the marathon was 5 months earlier, the WR will stand.
AIU originally was set to ban the Kenyan for 4 years, but Chepngetich got a year off for cooperating and admitting to the violation. That’s where it gets sticky. The cooperation was in the form of her turning over her phone, and AIU investigators found text messages that raised suspicions that she had been involved in doping as early as ’22.
No smoking gun, however, means that the WR stands for now. Explains AIU chief Brett Clothier, “The case regarding the positive test for HCTZ has been resolved, but the AIU will continue to investigate the suspicious material recovered from Chepngetich’s phone to determine if any other violations have occurred.”
Kenya Dodges WADA Bullet… For Now
In September, anti-doping organization WADA threatened major sanctions if Kenya did not address its concerns with reportedly widespread doping problems in the East African powerhouse.
However, in October WADA announced that there had been major progress in Kenya and that instead of applying sanctions, it would instead refer the Kenyan situation to its compliance department for further monitoring.
A measure of Kenya’s prioritization of the anti-doping fight is that the nation’s president, William Ruto, said Kenya would do “whatever it takes” to clean up ADAK, its national anti-doping agency. Still, challenges remain. Critics point out that Kenya has more athletes currently suspended than any other nation, driven by a huge economic incentive to dope as a means of escaping poverty.
Will Foreigners Be Welcome?
President Trump has raised question marks about the U.S.’s hosting of the Olympics and soccer’s World Cup. He recently threatened to overrule FIFA and move some of the soccer matches, and some fear that he could even try to ban certain nations from competing in the Cup or Games.
He recently said, “If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location, if I had to… For that one, I would probably need to have a different kind of a permission, but we would do that.”
Note that Indonesia banned Israel from competing in the recent World Gymnastics Championships. The IOC pushed back, saying, “All eligible athletes, teams and sports officials must be able to take part in international sports competitions and events without any form of discrimination by the host country, in accordance with the Olympic Charter and the fundamental principles of non-discrimination, autonomy and political neutrality that govern the Olympic Movement.”
The IOC followed through by ending discussions on Indonesia’s bid to host the ’36 Olympics.
A Radical Event Coming?
Among the latest World Athletics announcements is one that validates all of Seb Coe’s pronouncements about being open to new ideas. In ’26, WA is going to partner with Technogym to host… wait for it… a World Treadmill Championships.
Technogym is an Italian manufacturer of sports equipment, and one of its key products is treadmills (as you already guessed). The innovative competition will be a 5000m treadmill run that will take place next fall. Participants will compete against professional runners whose performances will show on a real-time leaderboard.
The leaders in the first stage will then compete in regional competitions which will select a top 10 for men and women. They will compete in the finals (location TBD, but “iconic”). How many pros will give this a go? The carrot is not insubstantial: $100,000 in prize money, plus Wild Cards for some WA events such as the World Road Running Champs.
Said Coe, “Together, we aim to create a virtual competition space that builds a global community, entertains and motivates amateur runners to compete and connect with a worldwide virtual community.”
Cash On The Barrelhead For Athlos
The Athlos women’s meet put on by Alexis Ohanian broke new ground in the track world by offering nearly instant payments to athletes following their events.
Said Ohanian, “This year, Cash App is enabling immediate prize payments for all eligible athletes the moment results are confirmed.” That’s an improvement over last year’s 3-day gap, which Ohanian said wasn’t good enough. And it’s far faster than the rest of the pro track world, where payouts sometimes take months.
That’s just one facet that Athlos is banking on as it recruits more sponsors and looks at expanding in year 3. The plan is to move to a team format, with multiple meets in various cities culminating in the final. It is all set to take place after the conclusion of the DL season and the World Ultimate Champs.
Various name athletes, including Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall will be “athlete-advisor owners.”
GST Moves Towards Solvency
Michael Johnson’s embattled Grand Slam Track organization isn’t out of trouble yet, but in early October it made a start on paying off its $19 million debt. An infusion of cash from some of its original investors has enabled GST to pay the athletes half of what was owed.
The money came after investors learned that GST was planning to lay off staff and begin a state-level restructuring process, similar to a bankruptcy filing. Winners Alliance started gathering emergency financing, while fronting the cash to pay the salaries of the remaining employees (fewer than 10). The remaining money is earmarked to pay for broadcast production, facilities, and other fees.
In a memo, GST announced the payments: “Today is the beginning of Grand Slam Track’s reboot. We apologize for frustrations and hardships caused by the payment delays to date. Over the next 60 days, we will be working hard to make things right with everyone who helped make 2025 a success, to best position GST for 2026 and beyond.”
Too Hot For Long Distances?
Breaking records in the marathon is hard to begin with, but a new study says it’s getting harder all the time. The U.S.-based nonprofit Climate Central says that rising temperatures are posing a growing threat to major marathons and “have made record-breaking runs in some races nearly impossible.”
Optimal running conditions will be less likely in 86% of the 221 global marathons by the year ’45. This year, the majors in Tokyo, London and Berlin all suffered from higher-than-normal heat.
WA head Seb Coe responded to the study by saying, “The era of ‘business as usual’ for athletics and other endurance summer and winter sports is over. Rising heat, rising seas and unpredictable conditions are no longer exceptions — they’re the new normal.
“At World Athletics we recognize that athlete welfare isn’t just about training and tactics anymore — it’s about responding to a warming planet. We must lead, adapt and innovate if our sport is to thrive in the future — and that means bold action now.”
Dipping Into WA’s Accounts
World Athletics announced at the end of October that it had been the victim of embezzlement of some $1.7M by several of its staff. An internal investigation revealed the culprits included two employees and a consultant.
One of the employees had left before the theft was discovered. The others were dismissed following the investigation. The casework has been handed over to legal authorities for criminal investigation. It has since been reported that the two prime subjects of investigation are James Lord, former director of broadcast, and former COO Vineesh Kochhar.
Said Seb Coe, “We are determined to recover whatever monies we are able using the full force of the law to do this. Too many organizations brush incidents like this under the carpet, terminating employment with limited information which allows perpetrators to continue their scams and thefts within new organizations. We are not that type of organization.
“We have built a strong reputation for good governance, transparency and for defending what is right, even if it is sometimes a little uncomfortable.”
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