This Week In Athletics, we have schedules published for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championships and the 2028 LA Olympics, a track legend makes her long-awaited return, and M11 Track Club has a surprise new member.

Ultimate Championships Schedule 

World Athletics has published the schedule for the inaugural Ultimate Championships, which are set to take place in Budapest, Hungary, next September. The meet will open with the Mixed 4x100m relay on Friday, the 11th, followed by 9 other finals. With the same number on Saturday, including both 100m’s, before the Championships rounds out with 10 finals on Sunday, finishing with the Women’s 200m.

All sessions will last between 3 and 4 hours. Via World Athletics.

LA 2028 Calendar to run across the entire games

World Athletics has also announced that the athletics schedule for the 2028 Olympic Games will span the entire Games. 

The 13-day schedule will see the Women’s 100m be completed on the first day of competition, with the heats, semi-finals, and final taking place on the same day for the first time. 

The other most notable headline from the announcement was that of the crossover between the 400m and 400m hurdles, ultimately denying what many believed would be Sydney McLaughlin Levrone’s attempt at a double gold.

Chairman of World Athletics Sebastian Coe said the change to proceeding from previous Olympics "landed on an athletics programme that will start with a bang as our women's sprinters take centre stage on day one and then the men's sprinters on day two to maximise and sustain global interest after the opening ceremony".

The opening ceremony of the games will take place on the 14th July, with the Track and Field schedule starting the following day, running through to the closing ceremony on the 30th. It will see the tradition of swimming opening the games switched, with the action from Sofi Stadium beginning in the second week. The place in the schedule usually reserved for athletics. Via World Athletics

South African Government approves Olympic bid

The South African government has approved the nation’s bid to either host the 2036 or 2040 Olympic Games after the cabinet voted on Wednesday to enter into dialogue with the International Olympic Committee. 

South Africa has yet to name a specific host city, but it would become the first African host of the games. The International Olympic Committee has also not yet set a timetable for the 2036 election. Via gamesbids

US Star Cranny joins M11 training Group

US middle-distance star Elise Cranny jas relocated to Manchester to join the M11 Track Club, where she will be trained by Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows. The 4-time US Champion will be joining an already stellar lineup, including Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson, World and Olympic medalist Georgia Hunter Bell, and European indoor champion Sarah Healy. Via instagram

Thompson-Herrah returns to Training

5-time Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herrah has returned to training with Elite Performance track club. The Jamaican has not raced since pulling up with an Achilles injury at an event in June 2024. Via PFSN