We select some of the stories that are expected to create headlines in the coming months.

Jason Henderson (Head of Digital):

The year of the mile

Despite its rich history, the mile has often felt like an unfashionable event in recent years. Athletes and organisers have been more interested in 1500m races, mainly because they produce qualifying times for championships. Last year the Emsley Carr Mile didn't even appear to have a home until it was awarded to the Manchester International at the end of the season but then shifted to the more appropriate Monument Mile meet in Stirling.

Indeed, the pages of AW over the last 20 years have been peppered with articles highlighting the declining interest in the classic four-lap event.

In 2026 things are different. The Emsley Carr Mile has already been confirmed as taking place at the Diamond League in London on July 18. Josh Kerr is mounting a much-publicised attack on Hicham El Guerrouj's world record of 3:43.13 too.

A few days later we will see mile races at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, bringing back memories of the “Miracle Mile” at the 1954 Games in Vancouver where Roger Bannister beat John Landy.

Keely's crack at Kratochvilova's record

If Keely Hodgkinson rolls into the summer in the same shape she was in during the indoor season, she should have a number of opportunities to close in on Jarmila Kratochvilova's long-standing world 800m record of 1:53.28.

As a former club runner, my PB is slightly quicker than Keely's but slower than Kratochvilova, so I have a fair appreciation for the kind of pace needed to hit such a time. Hodgkinson's recent 400m performances show she has necessary speed. Allied to the endurance that once saw her make the English Schools Cross Country Champs podium, she has all the tools to take down the mark.

World Ultimate Champs

No one quite knows how good the World Athletics Ultimate Championships will be in Budapest in mid-September, so it will be interesting to see it unfold.

World Athletics has clearly put a lot of time and money into the event and elite athletes certainly seem interested in doing it. Sometimes meetings succeed or fall flat based on an occasional moment of brilliance or drama that lifts the atmosphere. The weather can also play a huge factor. Will everything “click”? Time will tell.

Euan Crumley (Editorial Director)

Jakob’s return

Jakob Ingebrigtsen is always worth watching and the athletics world is undoubtedly poorer without him in it at the moment. The Norwegian’s battle with injury that hampered his world championships campaign so badly last year ultimately resulted in recent Achilles surgery but, as he recently proclaimed on social media: “The best is yet to come” as he continues his recovery. Will he still be a major force or will his powers have been diminished? It doesn’t look like he will be competing again until July at the earliest but all eyes will be on him when he makes his return.

Tantalising 200m

One of the breakthrough athletes of last year was Amy Hunt, whose impressive trajectory hit its peak with 200m silver at the Tokyo World Championships. This summer, she has plenty of opportunities to build on that and add more honours. However, having moved to a new coaching set-up and having impressed in the indoor season, her fellow Briton and former world champion Dina Asher-Smith will also have designs on gold. The women’s sprints at the European Championships in Birmingham already look like being a major highlight on the calendar. 

Bol’s big move 

The 800m, on both the men’s and women’s side, is going to be full of fascinating match-ups and showdowns. Aside from Keely Hodgkinson’s pursuit of history and Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s development, Femke Bol will be taking her next steps in the event and providing more clues as to how strong her potential over two laps might be. The Dutch athlete doesn’t tend to do things by halves, so watch this space.  

Wendy Sly (Managing Director)

Novuna London Athletics Meeting

I have so many great memories from this event over the last few years, as it has firmly established as one of the city’s biggest summer sporting events. Athletes from around the world love to come to London and there are stellar line-ups already announced. 

Of course as an athlete of the '80s and remembering the world records I witnessed by British athletes back then, I'm looking forward to Josh Kerr’s mile attempt in the hope I see another one in person, but also the women's 800m will always be a favourite. 

I'm also hoping that the idea of the women's pole vault in Oxford Circus comes to fruition. Field events work well in city centres and this gives us a chance to take our sport to a wider audience in a spectacular setting.

Glasgow to the rescue 

I will always have a soft spot for the Commonwealth Games, given that winning silver in 1982 was my first senior medal. I'm glad that Glasgow came to the rescue for 2026, and that stars from the home nations, and the Scottish stars in particular, are supporting the championships. It's always a chance to see home grown stars of the future emerge, I just hope the weather is as supportive as the locals will be of the favourites!

Expect brilliance in Birmingham

As this is the first time this event has been held in the UK, it is very exciting. Talking to athletes, coaches and brands in Tokyo last year, I got a feeling for how these championships are going to be a highlight for many this summer. The European stars are set to turn out, and ticket sales are strong, so the atmosphere in the city and the stadium will be incredible.

We are lucky to have so many global stars across the continent so to be able to watch Femke, Mondo, Keely, Georgia, Jakob and Josh, amongst so many others, perform live at a championships so close to home is a real treat. Birmingham will do a fine job as hosts, and the level of competition will be high, so this goes down as my number one to look forward to in 2026.

Tim Adams (Multi-media producer)

Regular relays for Keely?

Besides Keely Hodgkinson's likely attempt(s) at the world 800m record this summer, there is also the enticing prospect of her being a regular in future 4x400m relay teams. Her 50.10 split – the fastest of the entire field – in the world indoor women's 4x400m relay final showcased just how far she has come in the 400m. Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows want the Olympic 800m champion to focus on her one-lap speed this year, so expect her to shave a significant amount off her 400m personal best of 51.49 this summer. 

More great heights 

Mondo Duplantis has already set 15 world records in his career – including four last year – but don't expect the Swede to stop any time soon. After clearing 6.31m at his own meeting  in March, you wonder if he might ever bring 6.40m within reach? With Emmanouil Karalis now second behind on the pole vault all-time list, courtesy of his 6.17m vault in February, the event is no longer a one-man show. That could also push Duplantis to new heights, so it will be a must-watch event this year.  

Road running still rising

Over one million people applied to take part in this year's London Marathon. News of a potential one-off two-day London Marathon isn't surprising, and it will be interesting to see if that becomes a reality. The second World Road Running Championships, taking place in Copenhagen in September, features elite athletes competing in the mile, 5km and half marathon. The championships also incorporates a mass participation element, which will 65,000 people racing over the three distances. Events are selling out quickly and there's no sign of this trend plateauing anytime soon.

Paul Freary (Product reviewer)

Scottish showdown

Of course, there are many other global challengers, but my hope for the summer is that we'll finally be able to see both Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman competing against each other at the highest level at full fitness. The crowds would lap that up at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Kings of the road

September will see the second edition of the World Road Running Championships (in this format) and again promises some great races over the mile, 5km and half-marathon. Could Kerr and Wightman also take to the roads, and could they face Ingerbrigtsen?

The ultimate recipe?

For the Ultimate Championships it's going to be interesting to see the selection system to see who makes the starting line-ups. In some events, we could easily overfill the fields with World and Olympic medallists, world leaders and perhaps current world record-holders. However they are put together, it will hopefully bring an exciting new format to the calendar that works in bringing the focus of the world on athletics and gives events the breathing space they deserve in what can sometimes be a busy schedule.

Jasmine Collett (Editorial and Digital assistant)

The rise of the next generation

The indoor season has already offered a glimpse of what’s coming next, with a wave of teenage talent stepping up, and there’s every reason to expect that momentum to carry into the summer. Performances from emerging athletes haven’t just been promising, they’ve been genuinely world-class.

Sam Ruthe has had a small injury setback but he turned heads with a world U18 indoor mile record of 3:48.88, while fellow teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus, fresh from a world indoor 800m title, is aiming to build on his early success. Back in the UK, the focus will be on athletes like Phoebe Gill as she looks to return from injury. With both the European U18 Championships and World U20 Championships on the calendar, the stage is perfectly set for this new generation to continue its form.

A wide-open heptathlon battle

The women’s heptathlon is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing events of the summer. At last year’s Hypo-Meeting Götzis, Anna Hall surged to 7032 points to move joint second on the all-time list, and there’s a strong sense she could go even higher if everything clicks again.

What makes it especially compelling, though, is the depth behind her. Hall had to settle for silver at the World Indoors, with Sofie Dokter taking gold, while Kate O'Connor claimed bronze and continues to establish herself as a genuine contender. With several athletes now capable of pushing beyond 6500–6800 points, the heptathlon is no longer about one dominant figure, it feels genuinely open heading into the summer.

Mondo shaping the sound and the spectacle

Mondo Duplantis is best known for continually breaking the pole vault world record, but he has also brought a different personality to the sport through music, releasing tracks like Bop and Feelin’ Myself. In fact, his recent record-breaking jump came with his own song playing in the stadium.

Now he is set to go a step further by creating the anthem for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships. It’s not often that one of the sport’s biggest stars shapes the sound as well as the spectacle, and it adds something fresh to athletics. Exactly what it will sound like is anyone’s guess, but that unpredictability is part of the appeal.

Key summer dates

May

May 2-3: World Athletics Relays, Gaborone

May 16: Shanghai Diamond League

May 23: Xiamen Diamond League, European 10,000m Cup, La Spezia

May 31: Rabat Diamond League

June

June 4: Rome Diamond League

June 5-7: European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships

June 7: Stockholm Diamond League

June 10: Bislett Games, Oslo

June 19: Doha Diamond League

June 20-21: Novuna UK Athletics Championships, Birmingham

June 26: Paris Diamond League

July

July 4: Prefontaine Classic, Eugene

July 10: Monaco Diamond League

July 16-19: European Athletics Under-18 Championships

July 18: London Diamond League 

July 27-August 1: Commonwealth Games athletics and para athletics

August

August 5-9: World Athletics Under-20 Championships

August 10-16: European Athletics Championships, Birmingham

August 21: Lausanne Diamond League

August 23: Silesia Diamond League

August 27: Zürich Diamond League

September

September 4-5: Diamond League Final, Brussels

September 11-13: World Athletics Ultimate Championship

September 19-20: World Athletics Road Running Championships