Running News Daily

ATHLOS London brought the 2026 athletics season to a spectacular conclusion at StoneX Stadium, with a collection of global stars delivering standout performances across the sprints and middle-distance events.

Among the biggest winners was Klaudia Kazimierska, who continued her extraordinary late-season run by claiming the women’s mile title in 4:19.43.

The Polish middle-distance star produced a powerful finishing kick to edge Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, who finished second in 4:19.54, while Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi secured third in 4:19.84.

The victory completed a remarkable sequence for Kazimierska, who has now captured three major titles in succession. Her ATHLOS London triumph followed victories at the Diamond League Final and the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, giving her a remarkable finish to the 2026 season.

Kazimierska was not the only athlete to leave London with a major title, however, as Keely Hodgkinson produced a dominant performance to successfully defend her ATHLOS London 800m crown.

The British star took command from the opening stages and controlled the race from the front, building a substantial advantage before powering across the line in 1:56.40.

Her performance established a new ATHLOS London meeting record, with Hodgkinson finishing more than two seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia, who ran 1:58.75. France’s Rénelle Lamote was third in 2:00.15.

American Juliette Whittaker finished fourth in 2:00.46, Ireland’s Sophie O’Sullivan was fifth in 2:00.53, and American Raevyn Rogers completed the field in 2:01.12.

The victory provided Hodgkinson with a powerful ending to a turbulent outdoor campaign that had included a canal accident and a hamstring injury, alongside silver-medal finishes at the European Championships and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

She also attracted attention with her specially designed Nike racing suit, a futuristic full-length black hooded design with an open back, created with mobility and aerodynamics in mind, complemented by Nike sunglasses.

The sprint programme added even more star power to the night with Sha’Carri Richardson producing a meeting-record performance of her own in the women’s 100m.

Richardson stormed to victory in 10.80 seconds, with no wind assistance, to take the ATHLOS London title. New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs finished second in 11.19, while American Anavia Battle claimed third in 11.25.

Britain’s Imani Lansiquot crossed fourth in 11.35, narrowly ahead of compatriot Daryll Neita, who clocked 11.36, while Canada’s Sade McCreath finished sixth in 11.47.

The American sprint success continued in the women’s 200m, where Gabby Thomas added another major title to her collection with a composed victory in 22.13 seconds.

Thomas held off fellow Americans Kayla White and Anavia Battle in a tightly contested final. White finished second in 22.40, while Battle, who had already secured third in the 100m, completed another podium appearance by taking bronze in 22.43.

Thomas’s victory further highlighted the depth of American sprinting at ATHLOS London, as the Olympic and world-level star produced another big-stage performance to close out her season with the 200m crown.

With Richardson and Thomas dominating the sprint headlines, Hodgkinson controlling the 800m and Kazimierska producing another decisive victory over the mile, ATHLOS London delivered an evening packed with major champions and fast performances.

For Kazimierska, the night completed an extraordinary run of three consecutive major titles. For Hodgkinson, it was a statement finish in front of her home crowd. Richardson and Thomas, meanwhile, ensured the American sprint contingent also left London with major victories.

ATHLOS London therefore closed the 2026 season in emphatic fashion, with several of the sport’s biggest names providing performances that will stand among the memorable moments of the year.

Masai Russell has called time on a remarkable 2026 campaign, withdrawing from ATHLOS London and ending a season in which the Olympic champion won every race she contested.

The American hurdler confirmed the decision on September 15, just days before ATHLOS London’s September 18 meeting at StoneX Stadium. Russell said she and her team believe stepping away is the right decision for her body as they turn their attention to what comes next.

“I'm grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this year,” Russell said in her message to fans, before signing off with a promise to return to the track in 2027.

It brings an extraordinary season to a close: 14 races, 14 victories and an unbeaten record in 2026.

Russell’s season reached another level in August when she produced one of the defining performances of the year at the Weltklasse meeting in Zurich. The Olympic champion stormed to 12.09 seconds in the 100m hurdles, breaking Tobi Amusan’s world record of 12.12 and becoming the fastest woman ever over the barriers.

The performance was not a one-off. Russell followed her world-record run by winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels in 12.20 seconds before heading to Budapest for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

In Budapest, she completed her perfect season in style, winning the 100m hurdles in 12.22 seconds ahead of Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan and the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser. The victory was Russell’s 14th of the year and secured her unbeaten record for 2026.

Her withdrawal means fans will not get to see the world-record holder compete at ATHLOS London, where she had originally been announced among the star-studded field. The event takes place at StoneX Stadium on Friday, September 18, as ATHLOS makes its first international appearance.

For Russell, however, the decision closes the chapter on a season that has already placed her among the defining figures of the 2026 athletics campaign.

She has collected Olympic, Diamond League and World Athletics Ultimate Championship success, while adding a world record that erased one of the most significant marks in women's sprint hurdles.

And perhaps most remarkably, she did it without losing a single race.

Now Russell turns her attention to recovery, preparation and whatever comes next.

After a year of 14 wins from 14 races, a world record and an unbeaten streak, the next time Masai Russell steps onto the track will be in 2027 — with the 12.09 world-record holder entering a new season carrying an entirely different level of expectation.

Keely Hodgkinson is wasting no time putting the finishing touches to her long and demanding 2026 season.

Just days after battling to a runner-up finish behind Audrey Werro in the women’s 800m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, the British Olympic champion is preparing to lace up once again — this time in front of her home crowd.

Hodgkinson is set to return to the 800m at ATHLOS London on Friday, September 18, 2026, at StoneX Stadium, where she will defend the title she won at the event last year.

The quick turnaround underlines just how relentless Hodgkinson’s season has been. After months of elite competition, travel and intense racing, the 24-year-old now faces one final assignment before bringing her 2026 campaign to a close.

Budapest provided another fiercely contested race for Hodgkinson. She was unable to finish the season’s Ultimate Championship with victory, as Switzerland’s Werro produced a superb performance to claim the 800m crown, leaving Hodgkinson to settle for second.

But there will be little time to dwell on the result.

The homecoming at StoneX Stadium offers Hodgkinson an opportunity to respond immediately and potentially end her season on a high. With the British fans expected to turn out in force, the atmosphere should provide an extra source of motivation for one of the country’s biggest athletics stars.

Hodgkinson has already established herself as one of the defining 800m runners of her generation, and another victory in London would add a fitting final chapter to a season that has demanded enormous consistency and resilience.

The question now is whether she can summon one last burst of brilliance after such a gruelling campaign.

With the Olympic champion back on British soil, all eyes will be on Hodgkinson as she takes on the 800m one more time in 2026.

No rest. No easy finish. Just one final race — and a home crowd waiting to see Keely Hodgkinson deliver one more unforgettable performance.

ATHLOS has announced a major change to its 2026 plans, confirming that the third edition of ATHLOS NYC will not take place as originally scheduled on October 2 at Icahn Stadium in New York City.

The decision marks a significant change for the rapidly growing women’s track and field series, which had been preparing to return to New York for another high-profile edition. ATHLOS said the move is part of a broader strategy to align its future events more closely with the global athletics calendar.

The organisation explained that it will not stage ATHLOS NYC in October 2026, with the goal of restructuring its schedule from the 2027 season onward. The new approach is intended to give the world’s best female athletes greater opportunities to compete in a healthier and more sustainable schedule while allowing them to perform at their peak.

When ATHLOS was launched, the series deliberately created a new competition window at the end of the traditional athletics season. However, as the event has grown, ATHLOS says it has become increasingly clear that its long-term home should be within the main international athletics calendar.

The cancellation of ATHLOS NYC, however, does not signal a retreat from the organisation’s global ambitions.

ATHLOS London remains firmly on the calendar for September 18, 2026, at StoneX Stadium in London, marking the series’ highly anticipated first event outside the United States. The London meeting is expected to bring together some of the biggest names in women’s athletics for what promises to be a spectacular night of elite competition.

ATHLOS has built its reputation around putting female athletes at the centre of the experience, combining world-class competition with significant prize money and an energetic event atmosphere. Its programme features several of the sport’s most exciting disciplines, including the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile and long jump.

While the decision to cancel the New York edition will come as a disappointment to fans who were expecting another major night at Icahn Stadium, ATHLOS insists that its commitment to women’s track and field remains stronger than ever.

The organisation is now turning its attention to London and to building a more sustainable international calendar from 2027. The latest decision could therefore prove to be less an ending than a strategic reset as ATHLOS looks to strengthen its position on the global athletics stage.

ATHLOS NYC may be absent from the 2026 calendar, but the series’ international ambitions are only getting bigger.

Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is preparing for the most important phase of her 2026 season, with the British middle-distance star targeting success across three of the year's biggest competitions in what promises to be a defining championship campaign.

After making the strategic decision to skip the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Hodgkinson has prioritized recovery and careful preparation to ensure she reaches peak form for the major championships that lie ahead. The move underlines her long-term ambition of adding more international titles to an already remarkable career.

Her first objective is the European Athletics Championships, which will be held from August 10–16 at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium. Competing in front of a home crowd, Hodgkinson will aim to successfully defend her women's 800 metres crown against one of the strongest fields assembled this season.

Among the leading challengers expected to contest the title are Switzerland's rising star Audrey Werro and Dutch world-class athlete Femke Bol, setting the stage for what could become one of the championship's most anticipated middle-distance races. With several of the world's elite lining up, the battle for European gold is expected to deliver a thrilling spectacle.

The focus will then shift to the Ultimate World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11–13. There, Hodgkinson will once again face the world's finest 800m specialists as she pursues another major international triumph on one of athletics' biggest stages. The championship represents another opportunity for the Olympic champion to reinforce her status as one of the dominant forces in women's middle-distance running.

Her season will conclude just days later at ATHLOS London on September 18, where she is set to headline the inaugural ATHLOS event outside the United States. The competition will bring together many of the world's top female athletes, with a lucrative $65,000 winner's prize adding further significance to an already prestigious meeting.

For Hodgkinson, the closing weeks of the season represent far more than a series of races. They are an opportunity to defend her European title, challenge for global glory in Budapest, and cap off an outstanding campaign with another memorable performance on home soil in London.

With three major events in little more than a month, all eyes will be on the British star as she embarks on a championship journey that could define her 2026 season and further cement her legacy among the world's greatest 800m runners.