World Athletics U20 Championships 2026: Eugene, Oregon

The 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships are held from **August 5 to 9, 2026** at **Hayward Field** in **Eugene, Oregon, USA**, the venue widely known as 'Track Town USA.' Hayward Field is one of the world's premier track and field facilities, having also hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships. Source: World Athletics.

Athletes must be **20 years old or younger** on December 31 of the competition year. For the 2026 edition, that means competitors must have been **born on or after January 1, 2006**. The event is specifically designed to showcase the next generation of world-class track and field talent. Source: World Athletics eligibility rules.

Approximately **1,500 athletes** from more than **100 countries** are expected to compete at the 2026 edition in Eugene. The championships draw the world's best junior track and field athletes across all events, from sprints and hurdles to throws, jumps, and middle-distance races. Source: World Athletics.

The championships feature **24 athletics disciplines**, 12 men's events and 12 women's events, covering sprints (100m, 200m, 400m), middle distance (800m, 1500m, 5000m), hurdles (110m/100m, 400m), steeplechase, relays (4×100m, 4×400m), jumps (high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault), throws (shot put, discus, hammer, javelin), and the combined events (decathlon/heptathlon). Source: World Athletics.

The World Athletics U20 Championships (formerly called the World Junior Championships in Athletics) were first held in **Athens, Greece in 1986**. They take place every two years. Recent editions were held in **Cali, Colombia (2022)** and **Lima, Peru (2024)**. Eugene 2026 marks the first time the U20 Championships have been held in the United States. Source: World Athletics.

The key difference is **age: U20 is restricted to athletes born on or after January 1, 2006** for the 2026 edition, while the senior World Athletics Championships has no upper age limit. The U20 Championships serve as a developmental showcase, many athletes who compete there (such as Usain Bolt and Sydney McLaughlin in their youth) go on to become senior world champions. Source: World Athletics.

**Hayward Field** is located on the campus of the **University of Oregon** in Eugene, Oregon. Eugene earned the nickname 'Track Town USA' through decades of hosting elite athletics events and producing world-class runners. The rebuilt Hayward Field, opened in 2020, features a 25,000-seat stadium with a state-of-the-art track surface. It hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships, the first time those championships were held in the United States. Source: World Athletics, University of Oregon.

In the **USA**, NBC Sports and Peacock are expected to broadcast the event. In the **UK**, BBC Sport typically covers World Athletics events. In **France**, Eurosport and France Télévisions carry athletics coverage. The **World Athletics website** (worldathletics.org) provides live results and streaming information for each country. Check your local broadcaster's schedule for full coverage details. Source: World Athletics.