USA Track & Field announced on Monday that Jamal Britt and Valarie Sion were named the inaugural USATF Tour champions following standout performances during the 17-meet showcase this season.
Britt has been laser-focused in the men’s 110m hurdles in 2026 and concluded the tour with a 12.91 win at the Ed Murphey Classic in Memphis this past weekend, his fourth appearance in the tour after grabbing victories at the Miramar Invitational, Drake Relays and USATF LA Grand Prix.
“I always have a mindset of hustling,” Britt said. “I’m really just trying to set myself up for the future. The biggest struggle for me on my journey is that everything is so expensive. I couldn’t pay for treatment, so this money will really help me focus on that.”
Sion grabbed victories in the women’s discus in her three appearances at the Oklahoma Throws Festival (73.10m), Ironwood Classic (70.29m) and USATF LA Grand Prix (69.15m) during the series.
“I feel so fortunate and proud to be the winner of the inaugural USATF Tour,” Sion said. “When USA Track & Field announced this concept, my competitive juices really began to flow, and I was excited to attack a new challenge. “I loved the idea of comparing athletes and their performances across all of the disciplines in our sport. Zebulon and I looked at the schedule and chose to prioritize the Tour and performing at a high level on U.S. soil in addition to my typical Diamond League meetings. I really value USATF and its initiative in creating the Tour for the 2026 season.”
Both will receive $50,000 bonuses as part of the tour championship and athletes must compete in at least three meets to be eligible for the overall title. The standing are decided using a combination of an athlete’s three highest World Athletics Results Scores earned at any point during the series.
USATF unveiled the tour last October as a move to reform its sanctions meets to similar standards and improve a set of best practices. In December, the 17 stops on the tour were revealed, with familiar meets like the LA Grand Prix, Penn Relays, Ed Murphey Classic and Mt. SAC all part of the lineup.
“The USATF Tour represents a collective investment in the future of our sport,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said when the tour dates were announced. “It addresses some of the key challenges facing track and field in the United States including fragmented scheduling, overlapping events, and dispersed media coverage. Together with dedicated meet organizers from across the country, we can deliver stronger competition, a better fan experience and greater value for athletes, partners, and communities.”
The 17 meets are part of an independently operated circuit with USATF providing support like medical, marketing, anti-doping, travel and operational help for the events domestically that hold World Athletics Gold, Silver or Bronze Label status.
USATF also noted that schedules for the 2027 USATF Tour and the indoor version of the series will be announced later this year.
