Unforgettable world records, a World Cross Country Championships, a World Indoor Championships, a remodelled Commonwealth Games coming back to Glasgow, the European Championships reaching the UK for the first time, the inaugural Ultimate Championship – 2026 has managed to not just cram a lot in but also pack a hefty punch.

There has been so much to enjoy, and so much that has stood out, this year but now comes the tricky part. Which athletes deserve to be recognised by you, the discerning AW readership.

We’ve had to make some tough choices to present the short lists that appear across the following pages and cover a range of categories (if we’ve missed anyone then please get in touch and give us your thoughts).

There are no physical awards but, rest assured, your vote counts. This is a prize that means a lot to those who choose to run, jump and throw.

international

International Men

Who is the best Male International Athlete of 2026?

Andreas Almgren - Swedish runner won the European 10,000m title in style, the world half-marathon crown in a European record of 58:06 and then took victory in the New York City Marathon.

Kenny Bednarek - The American won the 100m/200m sprint double at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, his 200m victory coming in a world-leading PB of 19.52. He was also the Diamond League 200m champion.

Andy Díaz Hernández - There was much to celebrate for the Italian who won world indoor, European and Diamond League titles in the triple jump. He also went to fourth on the all-time list with his winning leap of 18.15m in Birmingham.

Alison Dos Santos- In 11 400m hurdles races this year, the Brazilian was never beaten. More impressively, though, he took down Karsten Warholm’s world record with his run of 45.80, before becoming the Ultimate champion in 45.98 – the third-fastest time in history.

Mondo Duplantis - Some would argue this was not a vintage year for the Swede, yet still he won world indoor, European and Ultimate titles as well as improving his own pole vault world record to 6.31m.

Simon Ehammer - The versatile Swiss became world indoor heptathlon champion in March, breaking the world record in the process with a score of 6670 points. Outdoors, he won European long jump silver and was decathlon world leader with 8778 points.

Collen Kebinatshipi - Consistency personified, the Botswanan world champion ran 400m in under 44 seconds six times this year, winning the Ultimate 400m title in 43.39 to move fifth on the world all-time list. He also won the Diamond League title and improved the event record to 43.40.

Sabastian Sawe - The Kenyan didn’t just break two hours for the marathon, he charged headlong through it in London as he clocked 1:59:30 to etch his name in history as the first athlete ever to achieve the landmark in a record-eligible race.

Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage - An extraordinary summer saw the Sri Lankan javelin thrower win Asian Games, Commonwealth, Ultimate and Diamond League titles. He also threw a world-leading national record of 92.62m.

Ja’Kobe Tharp - The 21-year-old American broke the 110m hurdles world record with 12.75 at the NCAA Championships in June. He ran faster than 13 seconds six times this year, winning Ultimate and Diamond League titles.

International Women

Who is the best Female International Athlete of 2026?

BRITISH

British Athlete Men

Who is the best British Male Athlete of 2026?

Jacob Adkin - The Scot flew to gold in the uphill race at the European Off-Road Championships in early June. Later in the summer, he became the fastest Briton ever as he finished fourth at the illustrious Sierre-Zinal race in Switzerland.

Jeremiah Azu - Followed up a 60m PB of 6.45 in the indoor season with European 100m silver, as well as helping the British team to 4x100m and Mixed 4x100m gold in Birmingham.

Romell Glave - Clocked his first ever legal sub-10 100m in becoming British champion. That run set the Londoner up to take the European title, while he was also part of the British quartet that landed 4x100m European gold.

Matthew Hudson-Smith - With a stand named after him at Alexander Stadium, the pressure was on for the local favourite to produce the goods at the European Championships. Running in lane nine, he duly captured his third European 400m gold, then helped Britain to 4x400m relay silver.

Zharnel Hughes- The British record-holder found his best form of the year at the European Championships, winning 200m silver, as well as gold medals in the 4x100m and Mixed 4x100m relays.

Kimani Jack - The 22-year-old made headline news as he set a high jump world lead of 2.31m in May and followed that by winning the NCAA title in June. He won Commonwealth bronze in Glasgow and was fourth at the European Championships.

Josh Kerr - Having won his second successive world indoor 3000m title, the Scot declared his intent to go after the mile world record. He duly broke it, and the British 1500m record along the way, in London then bagged Commonwealth mile gold and finished first in the 1500m at the Ultimate Championship.

Scott Lincoln - The Yorkshireman was the British shot put champion again both indoors and out, taking his tally of national titles to 23. He won Commonwealth bronze in Glasgow, as well as finishing fourth at both the European and world indoor championships.

Mahamed Mahamed - As Sabastian Sawe created history in London, Mahamed Mahamed also produced the run of his life, moving to second to British all-time marathon list as he finished 10th in 2:06:14.

Lawrence Okoye - The 35-year-old improved his British record to 71.88m in April, then won his fifth national title before landing Commonwealth bronze.

British Athlete Women

Who is the best British Female Athlete of 2026?

Dina Asher-Smith - The 30-year-old moved out on her own as Britain’s most decorated athlete, her individual 200m bronze, 4x100m and Mixed 4x100m relay golds at the European Championships taking her tally of major international medals to 28.

Molly Caudery - Emergency spinal surgery cut the 26-year-old’s season year very short, but she was still able to win the second world indoor pole vault title of her career thanks to a clearance of 4.85m.

Success Eduan - A personal best in heats set the midwifery student up to spring a surprise by beating Amy Hunt to the British 200m title. At the European Championships, she joined forces with Hunt to take the 4x100m relay title.

Keely Hodgkinson - The Olympic champion broke the world indoor 800m record and took the world indoor title. Outdoors, she broke the British 800m record and finished second at the European Championships despite an injury-afflicted summer.

Amy Hunt - The world 200m silver medallist gave herself an incredibly busy race schedule this summer, but came away from it with Commonwealth 100m silver in pouring rain, as well as now fewer than four European gold medals – in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and Mixed 4x100m relays.

Georgia Hunter Bell - A golden summer saw the 33-year-old win her first global title with 1500m world indoor victory, then produce incredibly assured performances to win Commonwealth 800m and European 1500m gold.

Megan Keith - Began the year by setting the then European 10km record with a run 30:07 in February. At the Commonwealth Games, after the 10,000m didn’t go to plan she bounced back to win 5000m bronze in front of a Scottish crowd that included her 100-year-old grandfather.Megan Keith

Emily Newnham - An impressive turn of closing speed saw the European U23 champion take 400m hurdles silver at both the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships. She also ran a blistering anchor leg as Britain took 4x400m relay silver in Birmingham.

Jazmin Sawyers - After a 20-month absence from long jumping due a ruptured Achilles, the 32-year-old flew to Commonwealth gold and then followed it up with silver in what was an incredibly tight European final.

Elise Thorner - The fastest European of the year won her first major championship medal by taking 3000m steeplechase silver at the Commonwealth Games, clocking a PB of 9:05.45 that was only just outside of Elizabeth Bird's British record of 9:04.35.

international Under 20

International Men - under 20

Who is the best International U20 Male Athlete of the 2026?

Le'Ezra Brown - The 19-year-old American not only sped to 110m hurdles gold at the World U20 Championships but equalled the world U20 record in doing so, clocking 12.72.

Bakr El Asri - The Spaniard broke the European U20 record for the 3000m steeplechase when he clocked 8:24.40 in June, then followed it up by winning the world U20 title in Eugene.

Emmanuel Kiprono - Still only 17, the Kenyan battled through high temperatures and heavy smoke from wildfires in Eugene to dominate the 3000m at the World U20 Championships, winning in a championship record of 7:28.28.

Cooper Lutkenhaus - Building on his breakthrough last year, the 17-year-old was the senior US 800m champion both indoors and out. He won the world indoor title before enjoying Diamond League wins in Stockholm and Oslo. He also broke the U20 indoor world record and US U20 record.

Sam Ruthe - His year was halted by injury but in the early part of 2026 the now 17-year-old went on a record-breaking spree and now holds every New Zealand mark from 800m to 5000m across the U17 to U20 age groups. The highlight came in Boston where he set a world U18 best of 3:48.88 for the mile that included a 1500m world U18 best of 3:33.25. Ruthe’s mile time also broke the senior New Zealand record.

Tate Taylor - One of the standout performers at the World U20 Championships, the American left Eugene with three gold medals – from the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. Hayward Field was also the scene of his 200m win at the Prefontaine Classic.

International Women - under 20

Who is the best International U20 Female Athlete of the 2026?

Viktoria Angelova - A prolific year saw the Bulgarian become European U18 and World U20 triple jump champion. She produced a championship record of 13.98m in the former that was the furthest jump of the year by an U20 female athlete in 2026.

Linda Botková - In becoming European U18 400m hurdles champion, the Czech ran a time of 55.19 that broke the continental U18 and U20 records. She was also part of the line-up that won 1000m sprint medley in Rieti and World U20 mixed 4x400m relay silver.

Mia Maxwell - Another young American talent that shone at the World U20 Championships, she achieved the 100m/200m sprint double in Eugene.

Jessica Oji - The Nigerian became the first athlete from her nation to win a field title at the World U20 Championships, throwing 18.08m to land shot put gold. The 19-year-old also won silver at the Commonwealth Games.

Živa Remic - Another multiple medallist, the Slovenian took 800m gold at the European U18 and World U20 championships. Indoors, she also set a European U18 800m best of 2:00.73.

Yan Ziyi - The Chinese 18-year-old’s first first javelin throw of the season was 71.74m, an Asian and world U20 record that put her second on the world all-time list. She finished the season as Diamond League and Asian Games champion.

British Under 20

British Men - under 20

Who is the best British U20 Male Athlete of the Year?

Divine Iheme - Took the 100m title at the European U18 Championships in a championship record of 10.29. He also came away from the World U20 Championships with silver medals from the 4x100m (in a European U20 record time) and mixed 4x100m relays.

Samuel James - Soared to the European U18 high jump title by clearing a height of 2.25m that equalled the national U18 record and set the world U18 lead. The 17-year-old also finished fifth at the World U20 Championships.

Wyatt Larkins - One of three British athletes to win an individual medal at the World U20 championships, the 19-year-old threw the 6kg hammer out to 75.38m in Eugene to land bronze.

Tito Odunaike - Became the youngest winner of a men's title at the UK Indoor Championships, aged 16, when he landed triple jump gold in February. After turning 17 in April, he became European U18 champion.

Otis Poole - The 19-year-old who is now based in the US chose the perfect time to produce a personal best in the high jump, clearing 2.21m to win bronze at the World U20 Championships.

Bronson Hearn-Smith - The 16-year-old with the distinctive sprinting style made the most of his first ever trip outside of the UK, winning 200m gold at the European U18 championships in a championship record of 20.70.

British Women - under 20

Who is the best British U20 Female Athlete of the Year?

Lucia Bertacchini - The first season of the 17-year-old competing in the 400m hurdles saw her come away from the European U18 Championships with a bronze medal in the event.

Thea Brown- The 19-year-old combined eventer won the senior UK indoor pentathlon title in Glasgow and just missed out on the medals in the heptathlon at the World U20 Championships, coming fourth by only 24 points with 5826 in fourth.

Lucy Bull - Having come into the competition ranked sixth, the 16-year-old produced a huge PB of 56.60m in the fifth round to win javelin gold at the European U18 Championships. She had thrown a then PB of 54.98m in qualifying for the final.

Shaikira King - The UK Indoor 800m bronze medallist repeated the feat in Eugene, being Britain’s sole female individual medallist at the World U20 Championships with third place in a top quality final.

Celine Obinna-Alo - The 16-year-old who is coached by Richard Kilty took another big step forward this year, running a personal best of 11.45 in the heats on her way to winning 100m bronze at the European U18 championships.

Leila Newth - The English U17 triple and long jump indoor champion excelled outdoors, making history at the European U18 championships when she broke the British U18 triple jump record twice, first in qualifying for with 13.02m, then reaching 13.16m in the final to finish fourth.

PARA Athlete of the year

Male Para Athlete of the year

Who is the best Para Male Athlete of 2026?

Aled Davies - Having moved coaches to begin working with Dale Stevenson in Australia, the Welshman successfully defended the Commonwealth men’s discus F42-44/F61-64 title that he first secured in Birmingham.

Marcel Hug - The Swiss wheelchair star continued his total domination of the marathon world, winning in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago so far this year. He was due to compete in New York as this issue went to print.

Nathan Maguire - The new father, cheered on by his wife Hannah Cockroft – the nine-time Paralympic champion – and daughter Rosie, successfully defended his Commonwealth title, leading an English one-two in the men’s T54 1500m.

Ben Sandilands - The Paralympic and world T20 1500m champion added Commonwealth gold to his collection, rising to the occasion in front of a home Scottish crowd at Scotstoun Stadium

Zac Shaw - Dedicating his win to his later mother, who died in August last year, the 30-year-old upgraded his Birmingham silver to take Commonwealth T12 100m gold in Glasgow.

Thomas Young - The Englishman – Paralympic champion in Tokyo – gave himself the perfect birthday present this summer, winning the men’s 100m T38 on his Commonwealth debut thanks to a Games record of 11.11.

Female Para Athlete of the year

Who is the best Para Female Athlete of the Year?

Olivia Breen - Just days after her 30th birthday, the Welsh star sped to Commonwealth silver in the women’s T38 100m, then followed that up with gold in the T38 long jump.

Catherine Debrunner - The Swiss broke her own marathon world record by 60 seconds in Chicago, lowering her mark of 1:34.16 to 1:33.16. She also won in Tokyo and London, as well as finishing second in Berlin.

Sophie Hahn - Having had to settle for silver to Olivia Breen in Birmingham, the two-time Paralympic champion reclaimed the Commonwealth T38 100m she first won in 2018 in Glasgow, also going on to win T38 200m silver.

Goodness Nwachukwu - The Nigerian defended her Commonwealth title with a world record in the women’s F42-44/61-64 discus in Glasgow, breaking her own F42 mark with a final throw of 39.66m.

Irina Tychshenko - An eventful Olomouc WPA Women’s Grand Prix saw the athlete from Kazakhstan set world records in the F45 discus (22.90m) and shot put (8.79m).

Melanie Woods - The Scot came away from the Commonwealth Games with two gold medals, but had to win the T54 1500m twice after the final was restaged. She then went on to win the T54 400m title, also making her marathon debut in Berlin.

masters Athlete of the year

Mens Masters Athlete of the year

Who is the top Masters Male Athlete of the Year?

Joe Appiah - Improved the M55 100m hurdles world record to 13.75. At the World Masters Championships he won 100m gold and set a British record in finishing second in the long jump. Indoors, he set a world 60m hurdles record of 8.39 and won European gold.

Andy Ashurst - The 1986 Commonwealth pole vault champion won the world masters M60 title and also set a British M60 record with 4.05m in the USA, as well as coming fifth in the M60 decathlon at the world masters.

Tony Bowman - Holder of all British sprint hurdle records for over-70s, the 91-year-old set further records in the 200m hurdles (81.99), high jump (0.91m), long jump (2.25) and triple jump (4.32m). Indoors he set British bests at 60m, 200m, 60m hurdles, long and triple jumps, indoor pentathlon and shot put, also winning four European Masters golds.

Peter Giles - The 82-year-old musician who was in King Crimson, continues to set records. He ran a British M80 record at 800m (3:00.40), 3000m (13:29.02) and a road 5km best of 22:28. Indoors he set British bests at 800m, 1500m, the mile and 3000m.

Andrew Ridley - Injury cut his season short but he still set world M60 records over 800m outdoors (2:06.67), as well as the 800m (2:05.13) and mile (4:44.12) indoors. He won the 800m and 1500m at the European Masters Indoor Championships.

John Wright - Improved his M65 world record 100m to 12.03 in winning world masters gold. He also won 400m gold and ran a brilliant 4x400m leg to help Britain to victory. Indoors he set world masters records in winning European gold in the 200m (24.46) and 400m (54.92), and won the 60m in a European record 7.73.

Womens Masters Athlete of the year

Who is the top Masters Female Athlete of the Year?

Clare Elms - The 62-year-old set World W60 records outdoors at 1500m (4:56.09), the mile (5:17.25) and 3000m (10:28.76), as well as world bests on the road at 5km (17:45) and 5 miles (29:53). Indoors she set world W60 records in the mile and 3000m, as well as a British 1500m record.

Carole Filer - Indoors she won W70 European Masters gold at 60m hurdles and long jump, as well as setting British bests at 60m hurdles (11.44) and long jump (3.71m). Outdoors, she set a W70 world 60m hurdles record (15.58) and a British record in the long jump (3.58m) at the British Masters Championships.

Christine Harrison Bloomfield - Ran a world indoor W55 record of 7.97 for 60m and achieved a 60m and 200m golden double at the European Masters, setting a British record of 26.61 in the latter. Outdoors she ran sprint times of 12.88 and 26.26, which are both inside her British record times.

Kirsty Longley - Ran W50 age group British bests at 10km (34:58) and half marathon (74:57), as well a mile best (5:05), though that wasn't ratified due it being a point to point course. The half-marathon time is a European best.

Anne Martin - Britain's oldest female competitor set inaugural British W90 records in the long jump (0.57m), triple jump (2.37m), shot (4.63m), discus (7.71m), hammer (15.35m) javelin (5.52m), weight (5.34m) and throws pentathlon (2320).

Julia Machin - The former international high jumper and heptathlete set a British W55 record in the 300m hurdles of 48.63. She also bettered her long jump record to 5.20m but it wasn't ratified, as well as setting high jump (1.58m) and long jump (4.98m) records indoors. The high jump mark was temporarily a world mark and is still a European best.

Mel Watman Performance of the year

Who will win the Mel Watman Performance of the Year?

Athlete of the Year 2026

Athlete of the Year 2026

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International Men

International Women

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British Athlete Men

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international Under 20

International Men - under 20

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British Under 20

British Men - under 20

British Women - under 20

PARA Athlete of the year

Male Para Athlete of the year

Female Para Athlete of the year

masters Athlete of the year

Mens Masters Athlete of the year

Womens Masters Athlete of the year

Mel Watman Performance of the year

Mel Watman Performance of the year

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Athlete of the Year 2026

Athlete of the Year 2026

international

International Men

International Women

BRITISH

British Athlete Men

British Athlete Women

international Under 20

International Men - under 20

International Women - under 20

British Under 20

British Men - under 20

British Women - under 20

PARA Athlete of the year

Male Para Athlete of the year

Female Para Athlete of the year

masters Athlete of the year

Mens Masters Athlete of the year

Womens Masters Athlete of the year

Mel Watman Performance of the year

Mel Watman Performance of the year

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