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The biggest sport at the Paris Olympic Games will be held on August 1-11. And while it’s the oldest Olympic discipline, a lot will be new about track and field this year.

A lot has changed in the last 100 years. Feathers, jazz, and radios are out. Mom jeans, T-Swift, and TikTok are in.

(We don’t make up the rules.)

Dirt tracks have been replaced by vibrant shades of bouncy mondo. Leather shoes cower next to featherlight carbon-plated spikes. Scouts sprinting along marathons, calling in the action by telephone to announcers projecting the information to spectators sitting in the stands, have been put out of business by helicopters and motorcades livestreaming the race on TV.

But one thing hasn’t changed: the 2024 Olympic Games will be held in Paris, France—where they were held for the last time exactly 100 years ago. And once again, track and field will be the star of the show.

(Sorry, break dancing and skateboarding.)

Here’s what you need to know about track and field, or what the rest of the world calls “athletics,” at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on August 1-11.

Of the 10,000 athletes from 206 nations competing in 329 events at the Paris Olympic Games, 1,800 of them will be in the 48 events of track and field. That makes track and field by the numbers the biggest of the 32 sports.

It’s a fitting designation for a historic sport that traces its roots back to about 200 B.C. in Ancient Greece and the birth of the Olympics. Then, men (yes, just men) competed in sprints, the long jump, discus, and javelin to celebrate human potential  and to honor the gods.

Those events are all still contended today (plus a whole lot more that would make the Ancient Greeks—and many of our contemporaries, for that matter—scratch their heads, like the 3,000-meter steeplechase and the 20K racewalk), giving special import to this sporting discipline.

In addition: unlike say, soccer or basketball, which have the Football World Cup and the NBA Finals, the Olympics represents the pinnacle of the sport for track and field. For all the disciplines within track and field, from the 100 meters, to hammer throw, to the decathlon, there is no higher honor than winning Olympic gold.

It’s been a long, arduous road since Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, famously said that the point of the Olympics was “the solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism…with the applause of women as reward.”

At the 1900 Olympics, also in Paris, 22 women defied Coubertin’s dream and competed in a total of five events: croquet, equestrian, golf, sailing, and tennis. They made up a minuscule 2.2 percent of the 997-person field. This year, thanks to tireless work starting with the International Olympic Committee, the Paris Olympics will be the first to (basically) achieve gender parity.

Of the 329 medal events, 157 will be contested among men, five more than the 152 for women. (There are also 20 mixed-gender events, including the mixed-gender 4×400-meter relay on the track and the mixed-gender marathon race walk relay.) But within the 32 sports, 28 are gender equal—including, for the first time, track and field.

The devil is in the details, and if we’re putting true parity paramount then there’s still some work to go. Even within track and field, the men still compete in the decathlon (10 events) while the women compete in the heptathlon (seven). And then there’s everyone on the team beyond the athletes themselves: in Tokyo three years ago, 13 percent of coaches were women—and that’s up from 11 percent in Rio in 2016. A quarter of National Olympic Committees give less prize money to women gold medalists than men.

Speaking of prize money, track and field is breaking barriers this Olympics by becoming the first sport to give out prize money. Gold medalists in both women’s and men’s races will win $50,000, with relay teams splitting that pot four ways. In total, that’s $2.4 million that World Athletics will be coughing up to foot the bill, a sign of change for how the Olympics have bloomed from an exhibit of amateurism to full-blown commercialization.

Notably, this prize money is less than World Athletics hands out at the World Athletics Championships, which awarded gold medalists $70,000 in Budapest last summer. World Athletics intends to extend prize money to silver and bronze medalists at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

That prize money from World Athletics remains separate from prize money awarded by some national federations—including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which will award $37,500, $22,500, and $15,000 to Team USA gold, silver, and bronze medalists, respectively, in Paris.

Paris vowed to make this Olympics the greenest ever, building as little new infrastructure as possible and using the city’s iconic landmarks as venue backdrops instead. Rather than build dazzling new stadiums which quickly fall into disuse and disrepair after the Games—as we’ve seen at previous Olympics—Paris opted to revamp existing infrastructure, some of it dating back to the last Olympic Games here in 1924.

The Stade de Yves-du-Manoir, the main stadium of the 1924 games which hosted among other things track and field, has a new 1,000-seat grandstand and will host the field hockey events.

The pastel-colored high-rise apartments of the Olympic Village, where many athletes stay during the Games, add a splash of color to Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest area not only in Paris, but the country. Water pumped from deep below the earth cool the apartments made from a mix of wood and concrete (although many delegations have requested AC units nonetheless) and the avenues outside are made from a permeable pavement composed of crushed seashells that cool the streets by allowing water stored underneath the ground to evaporate on hot days.

This initiative has also fast-tracked cleaning up the famously romantic and infamously gray city. Paris has built 250 new miles of bike lanes, continued to expand its Metro network, allegedly cleaned up the Seine, and planted 300,000 new trees.

Track and field will be held on France’s biggest stage, quite literally. Built for the 1998 Football World Cup, Stade de France seats more than 80,000, making it the largest stadium in France. It’s home to the French national football (soccer) and rugby teams as well as the country’s biggest concerts.

As you’ve probably seen by now, the track has been resurfaced to purple for the Games. The shade is reminiscent of lavender, a homage to both the creativity of the 2024 Olympics and to the ash-colored track at the 1924 Olympic Games across the city.

If you’ve watched track and field meets in the past, you may have been confused why some athletes names’ appear with a big “Q” or a little “q” on the scoreboard after the preliminary and semi-final rounds.

If that’s you, don’t stress. In the spirit of second chances, and well, simplicity, the Paris Games are doing away with this system (for the most part).

For the first time ever, individual track events ranging from the 200 meters to the 1500 meters (including hurdles races) will include a “repechage” round. Athletes in the preliminary round who do not automatically qualify for the semi-final will have an opportunity to race their way into the next round through this additional heat, the entomology of which comes from repêchage, or “second chance” in French.

Under this new format, events will have four rounds: preliminary, repechage, semi-final, and final. This guarantees that every athlete competing in the 100 through the 1500 will have the opportunity to race twice. The number of athletes who will advance out of the repechage to the semi-final varies depending on the event.

The repechage round replaces the former system, in which athletes advanced by running the fastest in their heats (Q), plus the next best getting in on time (q).

The 100 meters already has an additional round of preliminary heats, and the distance events (3,000-meter steeplechase, 5,000, and 10,000) require adequate time to recover, so these events will be conducted without the repechage round.

Expanding on the theme of gender equality at the Paris Olympics, the marathon route pays homage to a pivotal moment in women’s history during the French Revolution: the Women’s March on Versailles. The roughly 160 competitors in the men’s and women’s races (as well as the citizen’s race, Paris 2024 Marathon Pour Tous) will follow in the footsteps of roughly 7,000 Parisian women and men who marched from Paris to Versailles on October 5-6, 1789 to demand bread and arms. (It worked: King Louis XVI finally agreed to sign the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens that day.)

Just like those disgruntled Parisians 235 years ago, runners will start at Hôtel de Ville, the city hall in the center of Paris, and will make their way on foot to the Palace of Versailles about 12 miles to the west. Along the way, runners will pass through nine districts of the Île-de-France, against a backdrop of the City of Light’s most iconic landmarks, parks, and forests, including the Place de Concorde, Rue de Rivoli, Tuileries Garden, and, of course, the Louvre.

In addition to being steeped in history and splendor, the course will be particularly grueling for a road race: the middle section packs some kickers that add up to over 1,430 feet of climbing and descent, with a maximum grade of 13.5 percent. Throw in some heat and humidity and we’re in for two unpredictable, action-packed events.

You may be wondering why race walking, in which competitors basically try and cheat as much as possible without getting caught, is an Olympic discipline. We are, too. Just watching race walkers swing those hips along at 6-minute per mile paces seems injury-inducing. But hey, three-on-three basketball, badminton, and trampoline are in the Olympics, too, so who are we to judge.

But judging is in fact a critical component of sport. Race walking rules stipulate that competitors must keep one foot on the ground at all times, to the point where any loss of contact is not visible with the naked eye. In other words, the rules are basically begging athletes to cheat and run without getting away with it. In addition, the lead leg must remain straight until that leg passes under the body. Using just the naked eye, that is, no technology whatsoever, judges monitor competitors to try and uphold these regulations.

For the first time since the discipline became an Olympic event in 2000, race walking will provide gender-equal medal opportunities. There will be a men’s and women’s 20K race, as well as a marathon-distance mixed-gender relay, which will replace the men’s 50K.

In a highly unique format, the mixed-gender relay will see 25 teams of one man and one woman each. They’ll complete a marathon-distance race broken up into four 10K chunks, with each competitor racing twice (man, woman, man, woman).

Perhaps the greatest improvement from the 1924 Olympic Games is that we can watch it all without even being there. NBC Universal, the American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that owns the media rights to the Olympics, is planning to air more than 7,000 hours of total coverage of the Paris Olympic Games. Track and field coverage will be broadcast on the NBC, USA, and E! TV networks and streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Olympics app, and NBC Sports app.

The action kicks off with the men’s and women’s 20K race walk on August 1, and concludes with the women’s marathon on August 11. In between, enjoy a nine-day action-packed feast on the track at Stade de France. Find the full track and field schedule of events here and the full track and field viewing schedule here.

Morning viewing sessions on August 2-9 will commence at 4 A.M. ET, and medal events will be shown on NBC’s tape-delayed prime time broadcast. Don’t worry, you can watch them live, too! Peacock, the streaming service of the Olympics, will stream every sport and event.

Those willing to sacrifice some sleep can catch the men’s marathon coverage live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 10 on USA Network, Peacock, and the NBC Sports app, while the women’s marathon will be shown live beginning at 2 A.M. on August 11.

The prospect of seeing one of athletics' biggest stars back on the track is growing stronger, with Jakob Ingebrigtsen reportedly targeting a return to competition later this summer following his recovery from Achilles tendon surgery.

According to comments made by his agent, Daniel Wessfeldt, in an interview with Norwegian media, the double Olympic champion could make his long-awaited comeback at one of three major European meetings in July. The leading options under consideration are the Monaco Diamond League on July 10, the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix on July 14, and the London Diamond League on July 18.

For athletics fans, the possibility of Ingebrigtsen lining up in London would add another layer of excitement to an already highly anticipated Diamond League meeting. The Norwegian middle-distance sensation has become one of the sport's most dominant figures in recent years, collecting Olympic, world and European titles while consistently rewriting record books.

His 2026 campaign was put on hold after he underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon earlier this year, forcing him to focus on rehabilitation rather than competition. Since then, questions have surrounded when the 24-year-old would be ready to return to racing.

The latest update suggests that decision will largely depend on how his training progresses over the coming weeks. If recovery continues according to plan, July could mark the beginning of his return to elite competition ahead of the latter stages of the season.

A comeback at either Monaco, Budapest or London would immediately place Ingebrigtsen back among the sport's biggest storylines. Each meeting is renowned for producing world-class performances, and any appearance by the Norwegian would attract significant attention from fans eager to see how quickly he can regain top form after his injury setback.

While no final decision has been confirmed, the signs are increasingly positive. After months away from competition, Jakob Ingebrigtsen appears to be edging closer to a return, with London's Diamond League meeting emerging as one of the most intriguing possibilities on his road back to the track.

Should his recovery continue smoothly, athletics could soon welcome back one of its brightest and most influential stars.

What should have been the defining moment of Emad Bashir-Mohammed's young running career instead turned into one of the most talked-about controversies in American road racing this year.

The 23-year-old crossed the finish line first in the men's citizen's race at the prestigious Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day in Colorado, stopping the clock at an impressive 29:50. His performance was not only a commanding victory but also one of the fastest winning times ever recorded in the event's long and celebrated history. Bashir-Mohammed finished eight seconds clear of his nearest challenger and appeared to have secured a breakthrough triumph.

For nearly two hours, he was the undisputed winner.

Then everything changed.

Race officials announced that Bashir-Mohammed had been disqualified after determining that he had started in the wrong wave. According to Bolder Boulder regulations, he had been assigned to the AA wave but lined up with the faster A wave, which began earlier. Event rules allow runners to move backward into a slower wave, but prohibit athletes from advancing into a faster one.

As a result, Bashir-Mohammed's victory was erased from the record books.

The citizen's title was subsequently awarded to Nickolas Scudder, who crossed the line second in 29:58. The promotion handed Scudder back-to-back citizen's race victories, while Bashir-Mohammed was left to grapple with the disappointment of losing a win he believed he had earned on the road.

The disqualification has since ignited widespread debate across the running community.

Bashir-Mohammed maintains that he did not intentionally violate the rules. He claims that after collecting his AA bib, he spoke with race personnel and was permitted to start with the A wave after presenting evidence of his recent performances. In a statement shared after the race, he expressed frustration over the decision, arguing that his goal was simply to compete against the strongest field available and produce the fastest time possible.

Race organizers, however, stood firmly behind their ruling. Officials stated that wave-assignment regulations are clearly communicated in pre-race information and reiterated during packet collection. They also noted that hundreds of participants are disqualified each year for moving into faster start groups, emphasizing that consistent enforcement is necessary to maintain fairness for all competitors.

The incident has divided opinion among runners and fans alike. Some believe the rules must be applied equally regardless of an athlete's finishing position, arguing that wave assignments are a fundamental part of race organization. Others feel the punishment is harsh, particularly if Bashir-Mohammed genuinely received approval to move up before the start.

What remains undisputed is the quality of his performance. On the roads of Boulder, Bashir-Mohammed demonstrated the fitness and speed required to outrun the field by a significant margin. Yet in road racing, crossing the finish line first is only part of the equation. Compliance with race regulations carries equal weight.

For Bashir-Mohammed, the day will be remembered as a painful lesson in the fine margins that can define elite competition. A remarkable run delivered a memorable victory, but a dispute over wave placement ultimately overshadowed the achievement, leaving behind a controversy that continues to fuel discussion throughout the running world.

A fast race, a costly administrative error, and a debate that may linger long after the finish-line tape has been packed away.

The men's 100 metres at the 2026 Rome Diamond League is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated sprint races of the season, with an exceptional field featuring some of the fastest men in the world.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at the iconic Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the race will bring together reigning stars, established champions and emerging talents in a contest that promises fireworks from the moment the gun goes off.

Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala headlines a world-class lineup that includes American sprint sensation Noah Lyles, Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, Jamaica's explosive Ackeem Blake, South Africa's ever-consistent Akani Simbine and Italy's hometown hero Lamont Marcell Jacobs. With personal bests ranging from 9.77 to 9.97 seconds, the field is packed with athletes capable of producing something special on the Diamond League stage.

Omanyala, the African record holder with a blistering personal best of 9.77 seconds, arrives in Rome eager to continue his strong early-season form and prove he can challenge the very best on the global circuit. The Kenyan star has built a reputation as one of the fastest starters in world sprinting and will be looking to make a statement against an elite field.

Standing in his way is world champion Noah Lyles, whose personal best of 9.79 seconds places him among the fastest athletes in history. The American remains one of the sport's biggest attractions and will be determined to add another Diamond League victory to his impressive résumé.

The race also marks a major test for Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo. The Botswanan star has rapidly become one of athletics' most exciting talents, while Ackeem Blake continues to establish himself as a serious contender on the international sprint scene.

Adding further intrigue is the presence of Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs. Competing on home soil, the Tokyo Olympic champion will enjoy passionate local support as he seeks to deliver a memorable performance in front of the Roman crowd.

South Africa's Akani Simbine, Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu and rising American talent Jordan Anthony complete a field that boasts remarkable depth and quality.

Men's 100m Entry List – Rome Diamond League 2026

Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya) – PB: 9.77

Noah Lyles (USA) – PB: 9.79

Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Italy) – PB: 9.80

Akani Simbine (South Africa) – PB: 9.82

Letsile Tebogo (Botswana) – PB: 9.86

Ackeem Blake (Jamaica) – PB: 9.88

Jordan Anthony (USA) – PB: 9.91

Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon) – PB: 9.96

Jeremiah Azu (Great Britain) – PB: 9.97

With multiple national record holders, global champions and Olympic medal contenders sharing the same start line, the Rome Diamond League men's 100m could deliver one of the fastest races of the year. For sprint fans around the world, all eyes will be on Rome as a stellar cast battles for supremacy over athletics' blue-riband distance.

Audrey Werro announced her arrival as one of the early stars of the 2026 outdoor season with a commanding victory in the women’s 800 metres at the Rabat Diamond League, producing a performance that exceeded even her own expectations.

The Swiss middle-distance talent surged to victory in a brilliant 1:56.56, breaking the meeting record and delivering one of the fastest times recorded worldwide this season. In a race packed with quality, Werro displayed exceptional composure, confidence, and finishing strength to separate herself from the field and stamp her authority on the event.

What made the performance even more remarkable was the athlete's surprise at the level she had already reached so early in the campaign.

"I was not expecting such a strong start to the season," Werro admitted after the race.

The race unfolded at a relentless pace, but Werro remained perfectly positioned throughout. As the athletes approached the bell lap, she glanced at the clock and immediately sensed something special was within reach.

"When I saw the time at the bell, I felt really confident," she said. "I'm really happy with the Meeting Record and looking forward to the rest of the season."

Her confidence proved justified. Maintaining her rhythm over the final 400 metres, Werro powered down the home straight to secure the victory and rewrite the Rabat meeting record books in the process.

The performance sends an early warning to her rivals ahead of a season that promises major championships and high-profile Diamond League battles. Beyond the record-breaking time, Werro's display highlighted her growing maturity as a racer, combining tactical awareness with impressive speed and endurance.

With the outdoor season only beginning, the 1:56.56 clocking suggests that even faster times could be on the horizon. If Rabat is any indication, Audrey Werro may be poised for the biggest season of her career.

Her emphatic victory in Morocco was more than just another Diamond League win—it was a statement of intent from an athlete determined to challenge the world's best throughout 2026.

The city of Boston is set to welcome back one of its most celebrated champions as Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi headlines a world-class field for the 2026 B.A.A. 10K presented by Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute on June 21.

Fresh from another remarkable victory at the Boston Marathon in April, Lokedi returns to the streets of Boston and Cambridge carrying both momentum and confidence as she aims to defend the title she captured in dominant fashion last year.

The two-time Boston Marathon champion has developed a special connection with the historic race city. In 2025, she produced a course-record performance of 2:17:22 to win the Boston Marathon before returning this year to claim another victory in 2:18:51, the second-fastest winning time in the event’s storied history. Her success has cemented her status as one of the premier road runners in the world.

Lokedi will be making her first competitive appearance since her marathon triumph and arrives as the reigning B.A.A. 10K champion after clocking 31:39 over the challenging 6.2-mile course in 2025.

“Boston has become a very special place for me,” Lokedi said ahead of the race. “The atmosphere created by the fans and the community is unlike anywhere else. I’m excited to return and give everything I have to defend my title.”

The women’s race promises to be highly competitive. American Olympian Rachel Smith, who finished second at the Boston 5K in April, leads the domestic challenge. Kenya’s strong contingent includes African 10,000m champion Gladys Kwamboka, former B.A.A. 10K runner-up Stacy Ndiwa, and experienced road racer Viola Cheptoo. British Olympian Jessica Warner-Judd adds further international depth to a field packed with proven performers.

The men’s race is equally impressive, featuring elite athletes from 13 nations.

Ethiopia’s Dawit Seare enters as one of the leading contenders after capturing the 2025 Boston 5K title and bringing the fastest 10K personal best in the field at 27:21. Kenya will be represented by an accomplished group led by Alexander Mutiso, winner of the 2024 London Marathon and runner-up at last year’s New York City Marathon.

Patrick Kiprop also arrives in outstanding form after securing victory at the prestigious BolderBoulder 10K on Memorial Day, while Alex Masai returns looking to continue his strong record in Boston. Masai recently finished ninth at the Boston Marathon and has earned three top-ten finishes at the B.A.A. 10K.

Among the international stars making their mark is South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt, who makes his race debut after an impressive season highlighted by victory at the NYC Half Marathon in 59:30. Ethiopia’s Olympic bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet adds further quality to the field, bringing a wealth of championship experience and previous success in Boston.

Canadian national 10K champion Andrew Alexander, two-time U.S. Olympian Hillary Bor, marathon standout Ryan Ford, and reigning USA 25K champion Andrew Colley complete a field stacked with talent and depth.

With defending champions, Olympic finalists, national champions and rising stars all converging on Boston, the 2026 B.A.A. 10K is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in recent memory. For Sharon Lokedi, however, the mission is simple: return to the city where she has repeatedly excelled and add another memorable chapter to her growing Boston legacy.