The 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships are taking place this week at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, marking the first time the national championships have returned to New York City since 1991. Running from 23 to 26 July, the meet brings together the country's leading track and field athletes in what has become one of the most closely watched domestic seasons in recent memory, with the event serving as the primary selection meet for major international competition.
The sprint events have drawn the heaviest attention, with 2024 Olympic gold medallists Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson both advancing through the opening rounds of the 100m on Thursday. Lyles won his first-round heat in 9.97 seconds, while Richardson clocked 10.90, the fastest time of the women's first round, setting up a heavily anticipated semi-final and final later in the week. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who has spoken about adjusting to being the athlete opponents are chasing rather than the one doing the chasing, headlines the women's 200m, while Quincy Hall returns to defend his standing over one lap in the 400m.
Beyond the established stars, the meet has provided a stage for emerging talent, most notably 17-year-old Cooper Lutkenhaus, who won 800m gold at the World Indoor Championships in March and arrives in New York as one of the most talked-about junior prospects in years. Tara Davis-Woodhall, competing across the 100m hurdles and long jump, adds further depth to a field that organisers describe as one of the strongest assembled for a national championship in recent seasons.
Holding the championships at Icahn Stadium, a smaller and more intimate venue than the football stadiums or purpose-built championship venues often used for the meet, has been framed by USATF as part of a broader push to bring elite athletics closer to major media markets and new audiences. The choice has drawn comparisons to the meet's last New York appearance more than three decades ago, with organisers hoping the setting generates renewed enthusiasm for domestic track and field outside of Olympic years.
Coverage across NBC Sports, Peacock and USATF.TV ensures the championships reach a wide audience, and results from Randall's Island will carry significant weight for athletes building toward the remainder of the international season. With several of the sport's most recognisable names competing on home soil, the meet offers an early gauge of form heading into the Diamond League's closing stretch and the championship campaigns still to come later in the year.