The 2026 USATF Outdoor Championships are about to explode onto the scene this Thursday, July 23, bringing the biggest names in American track and field together for a four-day national championship showdown at Icahn Stadium in New York. This isn’t just some casual meet, it’s a full-on battleground where the best of the best will go head-to-head.
The Lineup Is STACKED, Folks!
Seriously, the star power here is insane. On the sprint side, you’ve got Olympic 100-meter champion Noah Lyles and former world champion Sha’Carri Richardson ready to burn up the track. And don’t sleep on 100- and 200-meter world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden or World Indoor 60-meter champion Jordan Anthony, because they are absolutely athletes to watch. In the one-lap events, we’re talking Olympic 400-meter champion Quincy Hall and the absolute force that is Olympic and world 400-meter hurdles champion Rai Benjamin. World 110-meter hurdles champion Cordell Tinch and rising 800-meter standout Cooper Lutkenhaus add even more depth to an already packed track schedule.
But it’s not just the track lighting up; the field events are loaded too! Olympic and world long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, shot put world champion Chase Jackson, and discus world champion Valarie Allman are all expected to compete. This meet includes distance races, hurdles, jumping, throwing, plus the decathlon, heptathlon, and Para competitions. It’s a full menu of championship talent!
Don’t Miss a Single Race: Here’s How to Tune In
You absolutely cannot miss this. Coverage for the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor and Para National Championships kicks off live across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN starting Thursday, July 23, and runs straight through Sunday, July 26. Para events get things started on Thursday at noon ET. If you’re looking for the marquee weekend sessions, NBC and Peacock will carry those on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET and Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
You’ve got options to stream too: DIRECTV, Peacock, USATF.tv, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. DIRECTV is even offering new customers a free trial, so there’s really no excuse not to catch every moment. The national meet officially gets rolling at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 23. You’ll hear play-by-play from Leigh Diffey, Paul Swangard, and Bill Spaulding, with expert analysis from Ato Boldon, Sanya Richards-Ross, Kara Goucher, Trey Hardee, April Holmes, and Amanda McGrory, plus Lewis Johnson and Andrea Joyce reporting from Icahn Stadium.
Day One Kicks Off With Immediate Firepower
Thursday, July 23, isn’t messing around. The first day of events at 11:30 a.m. ET starts with a Mixed Club Final. Then we dive into the Women’s Discus Throw Final at 12:10 p.m. ET and the Men’s Shot Put Final at 12:15 p.m. ET. Right after that, the Men’s 200m first round hits the track, followed by the Men’s 5,000m Final at 12:25 p.m. ET, and the Women’s Long Jump Final at 12:30 p.m. ET. Plus, you’ve got Decathlon and Heptathlon events starting with the Men’s Dec – 100m at 12:52 p.m. ET and the Women’s Hep – 100m Hurdles at 1:13 p.m. ET. Day one is absolutely loaded from the jump.
This whole meet, running through Sunday, July 26, is a national championship battleground. You’ll want to be locked in all weekend to see who grabs those titles. Get ready for some serious track and field history!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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