USA Track and Field released the calendar for its USATF Tour 2026 lineup on Friday in a move that it hopes will standardize an event schedule for independent meets and provide athletes more opportunity to compete and improve a set of best practices during the season.
There will be 17 meets, which begins on March 28 with the TEN and ends on July 11-12 with the Ed Murphey Classic.
The tour concept was announced in October with USATF CEO Max Siegel saying he looked for reform in what is seen as “fragmented scheduling, overlapping events, and dispersed media coverage” in domestic meets.
“The USATF Tour represents a collective investment in the future of our sport,” USATF CEO Max Siegel said in a statement at the time. “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.”
USATF has now apparently delivered on its promise to determine what meets the criteria of a quality event — for athletes and fans — by mandating a unified circuit. Other goals for building a proper tour schedule are to expand media reach, boost how the fans engage at each event and to get official World Athletics ranking status, while also lending operational support to the meets.
According to USATF, it leaned on World Athletics method of classifying events and applied similar ideas to what would become the USATF Tour. World Athletics categorizes its meets under four standards: Platinum Label, Gold, Elite, and general Label classification. Platinum has the most stringent requirements, but all categories come with minimum guidelines to the experience is consistent for the next event.
What is unclear is whether the New York Grand Prix will return and be placed at the June 6 placeholder that is marked as “TBD.” Last year’s meet in New York was canceled with USATF only saying that it was not the organizer and was “disappointed” that it would not be held.
The calendar kicks off on March 28 with the TEN and ends on July 11-12 with the Ed Murphey Classic.
USATF Tour 2026 Schedule
The TEN – March 28 in San Juan Capistrano, CA
Miramar Invitational – April 4 in Miramar, FL
Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational – April 12 in Ramona, OK
Mt. SAC – April 18 in Walnut, CA
Drake Relays – April 25 in Des Moines, IA
Penn Relays – April 25 in Philadelphia, PA
LA Track Festival – May 23 in Los Angeles, CA
Tucson Elite Throws – May 23 in Tucson, AZ
Grand Prix – June 6 location TBD
USATF Distance Classic – June 13 in Los Angeles, CA
LA Grand Prix – June 14 in Los Angeles, CA
ATX Classic – June 20 in Georgetown, TX
Iron Wood Classic – June 20 in Rathdrum, ID
Portland Track Festival – June 21 in Portland, OR
LA Throws Cup – June 27 in Los Angeles, CA
Sunset Tour – July 11 in Los Angeles, CA
Ed Murphey Classic – July 11-12 in Memphis, TN
