The first part of the season comes to a roaring close with this weekend’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.
More than 670 athletes from 118 member federations will assemble at the Kujawsko-Pomorska Arena Torun for three days of competition to decide who will take global gold on the indoor stage.
Returning this year are twelve gold medalists from last year’s event in Nanjing, with eleven title holders from the outdoor world championships.
And among the 26 events on the schedule (13 for women and 13 for men), a loaded lineup of some of the sport’s biggest names clash in a preview of packed outdoor campaign later this year.
Team USA is poised for another major medal haul, bringing home the most hardware since 2008 and its 57-athlete squad will be led by Cole Hocker, Cooper Lutkenhaus, Nikki Hiltz, Anna Hall, Yared Nuguse, Jacious Sears and Chase Jackson.
Key events
Men’s 60m
In one of the deepest events heading into this weekend’s competition, the men’s 60m will likely deliver a dose of pure power as Team USA’s world-leading Jordan Anthony and Trayvon Bromell lineup against Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, with Great Britain’s Jeremiah Azu — the defending world champion at 6.49 — poised to keep his title in tact.
Women’s 60m
On the women’s side of the 60m, Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred is a favorite to bolt straight to the gold and will have to hold off Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken, Great Britain’s Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith with Poland’s Ewa Swoboda certain to extract the energy from the home crowd as she digs into the blocks.
Men’s 800m
Teen phenom Cooper Lutkenhaus leads the American’s charge in the men’s 800, bring his U20 world record momentum to the track as Belgium’s Eliott Crestan pushes to finally grab gold on top of his world indoor silver. But the will face a significant challenge with Poland’s Maciej Wyderka, Great Britain’s Ben Pattison and Australia’s Peter Bol all ready to be more than just in the mix this weekend.
Women’s 800m
New world record-holder Keely Hodgkinson is locked in on grabbing her first world indoor medal and Poland is likely the stage where she could send her soaring through the bell lap first. Her stunning 1:54.87 mark at Liévin last month set a new standard but also put this weekend’s competitors like Switzerland’s Audrey Werro, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and fellow Brit Isabelle Boffey on notice.
Men’s 400m
A speedy men’s 400m is likely in the cards as Team USA’s Khaleb McRae and Canada’s Christopher Morales William hope the make the race a two-person showdown but European indoor record holder, Hungary’s Attila Molnar and 2022 world indoor champion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago will be part of deciding factory through two must-see laps.
Women’s 1,500m
The women’s 1,500m will be one of the deepest races on the schedule and likely an indicator of what future matchups in the event will look like this year. Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell has the fitness and formula to take the top prize but must contend with three Ethiopians — Birke Haylom, Saron Berhe and Haregeweyni Kalayu — who will work together to establish early position while Team USA’s Nikki Hiltz and Australia’s Jessica Hull have had early season success that could easily give them the edge this weekend.
Men’s 60m hurdles
Dylan Beard and Trey Cunningham bring American dominance to the men’s 60m hurdles and would be the ones to count on grabbing two of the three podium spots even without Grant Holloway as part of the equation, while Poland’s Jakub Szymański will count on fueling up with unlimited supply of genuine home advantage as his support system.
Women’s 60m hudles
Devynne Charlton carries the torch for the Bahamas into competition and is perfectly positioned to win her third straight world indoor title in the women’s 60m. A solid early season build up has Charlton inching for just one more standout performance — after a 7.77 world-leading surge so far this year – for another gold, while Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji, Nadine Visser of The Netherlands and Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska will actively look to play the role of spoiler.
Men’s pole vault
All eyes will be on Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, who stormed to his fifteenth pole vault world record last week in Uppsala, Sweden as he cleared 6.31m. He will face a balanced field that will likely push him close to his current benchmark as Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, Team USA’s Zachery Bradford and Australia’s Kurtis Marschall all are in hunt for their spots on the podium.
Men’s 3,000m
Some of the biggest names that would command the men’s 1,500m have opted for the 3,000m instead, with Americans Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse stepping to the line with pure gold on their minds. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr has already seen glory in the event after winning in 2024 in Glasgow and also joins Hocker and Nuguse while New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish will refused to be left out of a chance to kick his way across the line first.
Schedule
Friday, March 20: Day 1
Morning Session
5:05 a.m. – Men’s 60 Meters, Heptathlon
5:20 a.m. – Men’s 60 Meters, Heats
5:53 a.m. – Men’s Long Jump, Heptathlon
6:08 a.m. – Women’s 400 Meters, Heats
6:39 a.m. – Women’s High Jump, Final
7:01 a.m. – Men’s 400 Meters, Heats
7:51 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters, Heats
7:57 a.m. – Men’s Shot Put, Heptathlon
8:26 a.m. – Men’s 800 Meters, Heats
Evening Session
1:10 p.m. – Women’s Shot Put, Final
1:16 p.m. – Men’s High Jump, Heptathlon
1:22 p.m. – Women’s 1,500 Meters, Heats
1:54 p.m. – Men’s 1,500 Meters, Heats
2:35 p.m. – Men’s Triple Jump, Final
2:42 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters, Semi-Final
3:16 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters, Semi-Final
3:44 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters, Semi-Final
4:22 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters, Final
Saturday, March 21: Day 2
Morning Session
5:05 a.m. – Men’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Heptathlon
5:20 a.m. – Men’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Heats
6:05 a.m. – Women’s 60 Meters, Heats
6:10 a.m. – Men’s Pole Vault, Heptathlon
7:00 a.m. – Mixed 4×400 Relay, Final
7:15 a.m. – Men’s High Jump, Final
7:22 a.m. – Women’s 800 Meters, Semi-Final
8:08 a.m. – Men’s 800 Meters, Semi-Final
Evening Session
1:25 p.m. – Men’s Pole Vault, Final
1:34 p.m. – Men’s 400 Meters, Final
1:52 p.m. – Men’s 1,000 Meters, Heptathlon
2:04 p.m. – Women’s 3,000 Meters, Final
2:22 p.m. – Men’s 3,000 Meters, Final
2:38 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump, Final
2:48 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Semi-Final
3:14 p.m. – Women’s 60 Meters, Semi-Final
3:40 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters, Final
4:02 p.m. – Men’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Final
4:20 p.m. – Women’s 60 Meters, Final
Sunday, March 22: Day 3
Morning Session
5:05 a.m. – Women’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Pentathlon
5:20 a.m. – Women’s Long Jump, Final
5:43 a.m. – Women’s High Jump, Pentathlon
5:48 a.m. – Men’s 4×400 Meters Relay, Heats
6:30 a.m. – Men’s Shot Put, Final
7:05 a.m. – Women’s 4×400 Meters Relay, Heats
7:55 a.m. – Women’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Heats
8:21 a.m. – Women’s Shot Put, Pentathlon
Evening Session
12:40 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump, Pentathlon
12:55 p.m. – Women’s Pole Vault, Final
1:38 p.m. – Men’s 1,500 Meters, Final
1:52 p.m. – Women’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Semi-Final
2:12 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump, Final
2:22 p.m. – Women’s 1,500 Meters, Final
2:38 p.m. – Men’s 800 Meters, Final
2:53 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters, Final
3:03 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meters, Pentathlon
3:13 p.m. – Women’s 60 Meters Hurdles, Final
3:26 p.m. – Men’s 4×400 Meters Relay, Final
3:47 p.m. – Women’s 4×400 Meters Relay, Final
All times Eastern.
How to watch
The 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships will broadcast live on Peacock and NBCSN on Friday from 5:05-8:55 a.m. (Peacock) and 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Peacock, NBCSN), Saturday from 5:05-8 a.m. (Peacock) and 1:30-4:30 p.m. (Peacock, NBCSN) and Sunday from 5:50-9 a.m. (Peacock) and 12:35-4 p.m. (Peacock, NBCSN).
