Running News Daily

Australian middle-distance sensation Cam Myers is already looking beyond his impressive achievements in 2026, with the ambitious goal of reaching the very top of the sport at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games before pursuing an even bigger dream on home soil at Brisbane 2032.

The 2026 season has been a remarkable breakthrough for the talented Australian, who has established himself among the leading names in international middle-distance running. Myers enjoyed a campaign filled with major victories, record-breaking performances and significant championship success, demonstrating that his potential extends far beyond being one of Australia's most exciting young athletes.

Among his outstanding achievements this year was winning the Diamond League 1500m title, confirming his ability to deliver against the world's best when the pressure is at its highest. He also claimed silver in the Commonwealth Games mile, finishing behind Britain's Josh Kerr, while securing national titles in both the 1500m and 5000m at the Australian Athletics Championships.

His success extended to two major international performances that further underlined his growing reputation. Myers captured victory in the prestigious Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic in a remarkable Oceanian record of 3:46.06 before producing another outstanding performance in Paris, where he won the 1500m in 3:28.00, setting another Oceanian record.

However, despite the impressive collection of achievements, Myers is not allowing his recent success to distract him from the bigger picture. Speaking in the November issue of Athletics Weekly, the Australian outlined his long-term ambitions, revealing that while Los Angeles 2028 remains a major target, the opportunity to compete at a home Olympic Games in Brisbane four years later carries even greater significance.

For the Los Angeles Olympics, Myers is targeting a place on the podium, with an Olympic gold medal representing the ultimate prize. But his ambitions stretch much further than simply winning a medal.

With six years separating the present moment from Brisbane 2032, the Australian believes he has sufficient time to develop into an even stronger and more complete athlete, eventually reaching a level where he can dominate the 1500m and become virtually unbeatable.

"My goal in LA is to win a medal, and preferably a gold medal, but I've got six years between now and Brisbane. Hopefully by then I can be unbeatable," Myers explained.

Interestingly, Myers is also choosing a different approach to the growing competitiveness and rivalry within elite middle-distance running. Rather than engaging in verbal exchanges or attempting to attract attention through trash talk, he prefers to let his performances speak for themselves.

His philosophy is centred on consistent improvement, delivering results on the track and allowing his achievements to define his standing among the world's best.

With a Diamond League crown, Commonwealth silver, two Australian national titles and two Oceanian records already secured in 2026, Myers has laid down a significant marker for what could become an extraordinary career.

The immediate challenge will be maintaining that momentum and translating his current form into Olympic success in Los Angeles. Beyond that lies an opportunity to achieve something truly special: standing on the Olympic podium in front of his home crowd in Brisbane in 2032.

For now, the Australian is building towards that future, but his ultimate ambition is unmistakable. He does not simply want to compete with the world's best; he wants to reach a point where nobody can beat him.

Australian athletics’ next generation received a memorable welcome in Los Angeles as rising sprint sensation Gout Gout joined Olympic great Ian Thorpe and a host of high-profile guests at a special Olympic Club of Australia gathering.

The event, hosted by Australia’s Consul-General to Los Angeles, Tanya Bennett, brought together members of the Australian Athletics U20 team on their return journey from Oregon, where they had been competing on the international stage.

Gout, one of the most closely watched young talents in Australian athletics, was among the athletes at the gathering alongside Thorpe, the legendary five-time Olympic gold medallist. Broadcaster Bruce McAvaney and actor Billy Zane were also part of the star-studded occasion, creating an unusual but fitting meeting of Australian sporting excellence, media and entertainment.

The celebration came at an important moment for Australia’s young athletes, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games increasingly becoming a realistic target for many of the emerging stars. Beyond LA28, the prospect of competing at a home Olympics in Brisbane in 2032 offers an even bigger incentive for this generation to continue developing and dreaming on the world stage.

The occasion also highlighted the newly launched Olympic Club of Australia, an initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee designed to help raise funds in support of Olympians and coaches.

For Australia’s emerging athletes, the significance goes well beyond financial support. Olympic sport can provide young people with role models and demonstrate what can be achieved through ambition, commitment and perseverance.

With Gout and his fellow U20 athletes now beginning to look towards the next stage of their careers, the road to Los Angeles could mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Australian athletics.

And with Brisbane 2032 waiting beyond LA28, the athletes being celebrated today could ultimately become some of the biggest names carrying Australia’s hopes on home soil.

Excitement continues to build around Australian athletics, and few voices carry more weight in the sport than that of Sebastian Coe. The World Athletics President has offered glowing praise for the remarkable progress being made across the nation’s track and field landscape, describing Australia as one of the sport’s fastest-rising global forces ahead of the Oceania Championships and the road to Brisbane 2032.

Speaking with confidence about the future of the sport in the region, Coe highlighted the depth of emerging talent, the growing professionalism within the Australian system, and the powerful momentum being created by recent international performances. According to the two-time Olympic champion, Australia is no longer simply rebuilding — it is rapidly transforming into a genuine athletics powerhouse capable of shaping the next decade of global competition.

The timing of Coe’s remarks adds even greater significance as anticipation intensifies for the Oceania Championships, an event expected to showcase many of the continent’s brightest stars. With Brisbane set to host the 2032 Olympic Games, the championships are being viewed as another important stepping stone in Australia’s long-term vision to elevate athletics to unprecedented heights.

Australia’s recent rise has been impossible to ignore. From sprinting breakthroughs to middle-distance success and world-class field event performances, the nation has consistently produced athletes capable of challenging the sport’s established giants. Coe acknowledged that this upward trajectory is the result of sustained investment, stronger development pathways, and a renewed culture of ambition throughout Australian athletics.

Beyond medals and records, Coe also praised the enthusiasm of Australian fans and the country’s ability to stage major sporting events at the highest level. He believes Brisbane 2032 presents a historic opportunity not only for Australia but for athletics across the Oceania region, inspiring a new generation of athletes to dream bigger and compete fearlessly on the world stage.

As the countdown to both the Oceania Championships and Brisbane 2032 continues, the message from Lord Coe was unmistakable: Australian athletics is entering a defining era — one built on belief, talent, and the potential to leave a lasting mark on global sport.

In light of escalating global temperatures, Lord Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics and a prominent candidate for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidency, has proposed a reevaluation of the traditional summer scheduling of the Olympic Games.

He suggests that, by 2040, it may be necessary to adjust the global sports calendar to accommodate these climatic shifts. Drawing parallels to events like the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which was held successfully in November and December to avoid extreme heat, Coe emphasizes the need for flexibility in scheduling major sporting events. He questions the feasibility of hosting events like the World Athletics Championships in cities such as Budapest or Paris during August, given the rising temperatures.

In addition to climate concerns, Coe has expressed a strong commitment to combating online abuse directed at athletes. He has labeled the perpetrators of such abuse as “pond life” and underscored the necessity for more robust measures to protect athletes, especially women, from harassment on social media platforms.

Highlighting incidents involving athletes like Emma Raducanu and Eilish McColgan, Coe has pledged to engage with tech industry leaders, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, to enhance safeguards against online abuse. He also proposes the establishment of a task force dedicated to protecting female athletes from gender-based violence.

These initiatives reflect Coe’s broader vision for the future of global sports, emphasizing adaptability in the face of environmental challenges and a proactive stance against the misuse of digital platforms to harm athletes.

Upcoming Summer Olympics

• 2028: Los Angeles, United States, from July 14 to July 30, 2028.  

• 2032: Brisbane, Australia, from July 23 to August 8, 2032.  

These dates and locations have been confirmed by the International Olympic Committee.

Additionally, Coe has proposed bold ideas, such as potentially moving some indoor sports from the Summer Olympics to the Winter Games, to modernize the event and address challenges posed by climate change.  

While these proposals are not directed specifically at the Los Angeles 2028 or Brisbane 2032 Games, they reflect Coe’s broader vision for the future of the Olympics.

Did you know that off-road running was part of three historic summer Olympic Games, including the 1924 Olympics in Paris? One hundred years on, runners from four different clubs in Britain have come together to launch a campaign to bring trail running (as we now call it) back to the Olympics. The next Games to include new sports is Brisbane 2032, and the group of passionate trail runners feel strongly that trail running deserves a spot.

“At Paris 2024, four new sports are being added that include breakdancing, surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing,” runner Jimi Harrison said in an interview with British media outlet The Star. “We feel that new Olympic sports should reflect the trends and popularity of the current day and believe the time has come for trail running to be adopted at future Olympics.”

To raise awareness for the cause, Harrison and the group ran a relay of more than 455 km, from London to Paris. Their feat ended on Sunday in the French capital.

Backed by running shoe brand Merrell, the group are calling on Olympic decision-makers. They have written an open letter to representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Trail Running Association (ITRA) to support their cause. (Merrell recently signed Olympian Alexi Pappas to its athlete roster. Pappas, who raced the 10,000m at Rio in 2016, setting a national record for Greece, ran two big trail ultras in 2023: the Black Canyon 100K and the Leadville 100.)

Some would argue that cross-country running is a more obvious fit for inclusion in the Olympics. With shorter, looped, spectator-friendly courses, cross-country could be more attractive to broadcasters, thus generating more interest. And cross-country usually features track runners. There is less crossover between track and trail running, though it’s not unheard of for track runners to transition to trails, as we have seen.

This is not the first attempt to bring trail running to the Olympics. In 2021, a trail running company from Spain launched its own campaign to bring it to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. (They were not successful.)

Trail running has increased significantly in popularity in recent years, thanks partly to events like the Barkley Marathons, UTMB (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc) and the Golden Trail Series, which make international news headlines.

In a groundbreaking initiative, children with cerebral palsy (CP) demonstrated remarkable improvements in enhanced cardiovascular fitness and mobility after participating in a study involving frame running, the University of Queensland News reported. Frame running involves using a wheeled frame with a saddle and body support, and was developed to assist people with CP or related neuromuscular disorders.

“The athlete steers the structure using his/her hands or arms,” the website explains. “Athletes can run long distances in a secure and stable bike-like structure. It gives the athletes the opportunity to move freely on their feet without the risk of falling.”

The Run4HealthCP program, led by Dr. Sarah Reedman at the University of Queensland, is focused on children aged 8 to 21 with CP. In a 12-week randomized frame running trial, participants with walking difficulties used the frames, showcasing the potential of this sport, which is slated for inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games. Children participated in two 60-minute frame-running sessions weekly.

CP is the most common physical disability in childhood, and more than 600 children are diagnosed annually in Australia (the disease impacts two out of every 1,000 children annually in Canada).

Improved endurance and cardiovascular fitness

The outcomes of the clinical trial revealed remarkable improvements across a variety of health-related areas. Participants not only demonstrated increased endurance in running, but also quicker heart rate recovery, indicating improved cardiovascular health—a critical factor, given that individuals with CP face a threefold heightened risk of cardiovascular disease-related mortality compared to the general population. This statistic, unfortunately, has remained unchanged for three decades, making innovations like frame running crucial for the community.

“The improvements we’ve found so far in the clinical trial have been really interesting and across a number of different areas of health and wellbeing,” Dr. Reedman said. “We have seen that the athletes can not only run for longer, but their heart rate also returned to normal more quickly, which is really important because it shows the heart is healthy.”

Enhanced quality of life

Beyond the physical aspects, the study illuminated substantial improvements in participants’ quality of life. The ability to walk faster suggested improved movement efficiency, potentially reducing the physical toll on individuals with CP.

“We found the participants could walk faster, which shows we could potentially improve efficiency of movement,” Dr Reedman said. “It would make a big difference to people’s quality of life, because walking is very taxing on the body for people with CP, so if they’re using less energy, they’ll be less fatigued.”

The study also underscored the positive psychological impact of exercise on physical functioning and daily activities, especially considering that high-intensity exercise is often inaccessible to individuals with high support needs. The Run4Health program had initially catered to 12 participants, but has since expanded to over 100.

The program’s success has opened avenues for further research, with plans to include assessments of bone density and gross motor function. Operating across six sites in Australia, the initiative marks a significant stride toward empowering individuals with CP and transforming perceptions around accessibility and physical activity.

A similar study has been ongoing in Canada. The CCPSA, in collaboration with the Conductive Education Academy and the Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association, delivered a pilot program to introduce frame running in the Greater Toronto Area in 2021. The CCPSA is in discussions with Athletics Canada to help develop an athlete pathway for frame running in Canada.

On April 8, World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a new Olympic event in athletics that will debut at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

The new event is the race walk marathon mixed relay, which will feature 25 teams, each comprising one male and one female athlete, who will complete the marathon distance (42.195 km) in four alternating legs of 10.54 km.

The event, scheduled to take place at 7.30 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2024, will be held on the same course as the individual race walking events at the foot of the world’s iconic Eiffel Tower.  

The relay event will replace the men’s 50 km race walk, which was dropped following its last appearance at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The 50 km race walk had appeared on every Olympic program since the event made its debut at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles (apart from Montreal 1976). 

World Athletics had proposed the inclusion of the women’s 50 km event, but the IOC rejected the idea, which led to a consultation between the IOC and World Athletics on this new mixed-gender relay event. 

Canadian Olympian and the reigning Olympic 50 km bronze medallist, Evan Dunfee, was unhappy to hear the news regarding the new event, especially after the 50 km race was cut for a more gender-balanced competition.

“In 2017, we were told there was no way to have a women’s 50 km walk in Tokyo because it was ‘impossible’ to change the program three years out. Now, less than 500 days away from the start of the 2024 Olympics, we’ve had our event completely changed,” Dunfee said on Twitter. “There is no endurance event for the race walk, which is what the event needs to be to make any sense.”

The current Olympic race walk program for the Paris Games has two individual 20 km race walk events and the mixed marathon relay. 

When asked about the future of the sport, Dunfee shared, “Sadly, I suspect by Brisbane 2032, race walking will cease to exist.”

The 2032 Olympics will be the third time Australia hosts the Games first Melbourne in 1956 Sydney in 2000 and now Brisbane 2032

The Australian city and surrounding South-East Queensland region were approved as the Games hosts at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Tokyo on Wednesday.

"Brisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts," said IOC President Thomas Bach in a statement.

The Olympics are slated to run from July 23-August 8, with the Paralympic Games taking place from August 24-September 5, across 37 venues.

Brisbane and the surrounding region is set to host or co-host a number of sporting events in the next few years, including the 2022 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, the 2022 UCI Road World Championships in cycling, and the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in soccer.

The region also hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, an area which will host some events in 2032.

"The Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia," said Bach, who is currently in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games, which were delayed for a year due to Covid-19.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holds a queue card after the Brisbane announcement during an IOC session in Tokyo.

It will be Brisbane's first Games, although Australia has previously hosted two: Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000. Brisbane's bid for the 2032 games was unopposed.

Opposition to hosting the Games has grown in recent decades as citizens question the long-term impact on their neighborhoods and public finances.

Detractors bemoan an Olympic legacy of "white elephants" like the rusting stadia in Athens left after the Greek capital hosted the 2004 Games, which cost $11 billion and became powerful symbols of waste during the country's debt crisis.

On Tuesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a 54 million euro ($63.6 million) project to redevelop the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens (OAKA).

The venue was overhauled for the 2004 Games but has been running at a loss and cost the Greek state 200 million euros ($235.5 million) since 2005, according to a government press release. The aim is to reopen the site in 2023 and create 1,400 permanent jobs.