2026 World Athletics Relays
 | |
| Host city | Gaborone, Botswana |
|---|---|
| Edition | 8th |
| Events | 6 |
| Dates | 2-3 May 2026[1] |
| Main venue | Botswana National Stadium |
The 2026 World Athletics Relays will be held at the Botswana National Stadium in Gaborone, Botswana on 2 and 3 May 2026.[2] It will be the 8th edition of the World Athletics Relays and the first time the event will be held in Botswana, or in Africa.[3]
Bidding
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said "This is the fourth World Championship event Africa has staged over the last decade, and we are seeing a real increase in experience, expertise and skills." The World Athletics Council confirmed the hosts for three World Athletics Series events and made a series of other decisions during the 237th World Athletics Council Meeting in Nanjing, China from 24 to 25 March. The World Athletics Relays in Gaborone will mark Botswana’s first time hosting a World Athletics Series event.[4] The capital city held a Continental Tour Gold meeting in 2023 and also held the Botswana Golden Grand Prix in 2024.[5][6][7]
Overview
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The event served as a qualifying event for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing; the top six teams in the 4 × 100 metres mixed relay and the 4 × 400 metres relay qualified for Budapest, while the top 12 teams in each event qualified for Beijing.[8]
Schedule
All times are local (UTC+2) Central Africa Time.[9]
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Medal table
* Host nation (Botswana)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jamaica | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 |  United States | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 |  Botswana* | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 Norway | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | .svg.png){kind=small} Canada | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 |  South Africa | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 7 |  Spain | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | .svg.png){kind=small} Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
 Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (10 entries) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | |
Medalists
Participating nations
723 athletes from 40 federations are entered to the championships.[11]
- Australia
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Belgium- Botswana (host)
Brazil- Canada
Chile
People's Republic of China
Colombia
Czechia
Denmark
Ethiopia
France- Germany
Ghana- Great Britain
Hungary
India
Ireland
Italy- Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria- Norway
Paraguay
Poland.svg.png)
Portugal
Qatar
Senegal- South Africa
- Spain
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Switzerland
Uganda
Ukraine.png)
United States[12]
Venezuela
Zimbabwe
Qualification for 2027 World Athletics Championships
Men's 4 × 100 m relay
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia Belgium Botswana Canada China Germany Ghana Great Britain Jamaica Netherlands South Africa United States |
| Total | 12 |
Men's 4 × 400 m relay
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia
|
| Total | 12 |
Women's 4 × 100 m relay
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia Canada China France Germany Great Britain Italy Jamaica Nigeria Poland Portugal Spain |
| Total | 12 |
Women's 4 × 400 m relay
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia Canada Czech Republic France Germany Great Britain Ireland Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Spain |
| Total | 12 |
Mixed 4 × 100 m relay
Teams in bold also qualified for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia Canada Germany Great Britain Italy Jamaica Netherlands Nigeria Portugal Spain Switzerland United States |
| Total | 12 |
Mixed 4 × 400 m relay
Teams in bold also qualified for the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
| Qualification event | No. of teams | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 World Athletics Relays | 12 | Australia Belgium Canada Great Britain Italy Jamaica Kenya Nigeria Poland South Africa Spain United States |
| Total | 12 |
References
- ↑ WORLD ATHLETICS RELAYS GABORONE 26 USA Track & Field
- ↑ 2026 World Athletics Relays schedule World Athletics
- ↑ In a landmark decision for African athletics, Botswana has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 World Athletics Relays. The prestigious event will take place in Gaborone on May 2nd and 3rd, 2026 Zimbabwean News. News of the South
- ↑ 237th World Athletics Council press conference: Tuesday 25th March 2025 World Athletics
- ↑ Botswana to Host 2026 World Athletics Relays Afro Gazette
- ↑ Botswana to Host the 2026 World Athletics Relays : A Historic Milestone for African Athletics Voyages Afriq is Africa’s No 1 Travel & Tourism Media & News publication
- ↑ Botswana to host 2026 World Athletics Relay Confederation of African Athletics
- ↑ "World Athletics unveils new entry rules". Inside the Games. 10 October 2025. Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
- ↑ "World Athletics Relays Gaborone 2026 Timetable". World Athletics. 3 December 2025.
- ↑ World Athletics aims to build on successful year and forge lasting geopolitical relationships during unprecedented 2026 - Competition decisions Timetables published 3 December 2025 World Athletics
- ↑ "ATHLETES by EVENT and FEDERATION As of 21 April 2026" (PDF). World Athletics. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
- ↑ Did not enter Men's and Women's 4 × 400 metres relay team
External links
World Championships organised by World Athletics | |
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| Outdoor | |
| Indoor | |
| Continental Cup* | |
| U20 | |
| U18 | |
| Cross Country | |
| Race Walking | |
| Women's Road Race | |
| Marathon | |
| Half Marathon | |
| Road Relay | |
| Relays | |
| Ultimate | |
| Road Running |
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