The 2026 USA Track and Field Outdoor and Para National Championships return to New York City this week, with Nikki Hiltz among the headline athletes as Icahn Stadium hosts the meet for the first time since 1991.
The championships run Thursday through Sunday at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in Manhattan, bringing the outdoor and para national titles back to New York for the first time in 35 years. Live coverage will be available across NBC Sports, Peacock and USATF.TV.
A major meet returns to New York
The location is part of the story. Icahn Stadium has not staged nationals since 1991, so this is a notable return for one of the sport’s biggest domestic events. With the schedule spread across four days, the meet offers a full championship program and a clear line of sight on who is in form heading into the next stage of the season.
The headline events are concentrated at the sharp end of the week, with the women’s 100m final set for Friday at 7:45 and the men’s 100m final at 7:53 p.m. ET. The men’s 200m final follows on Sunday at 5:39, with the women’s 200m final at 5:47. Those races should tell us plenty about the current balance of power in the sprints.
Who to watch in the sprint battles
Noah Lyles is among the biggest names entered, and there is built-in intrigue around his rivalry with Kenny Bednarek. Bednarek won the U.S. 100m title last year, while Lyles edged him by four hundredths in the 200m at nationals last year. Lyles also won the 100m at the 2024 Olympic Trials, so the championship races again carry both title value and bragging rights.
On the women’s side, Sha’Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden bring star power to the sprint programme, with Tara Davis-Woodhall also among the key names on the entry list. The meeting of established champions and fast-rising challengers is exactly what gives this championship weekend its edge.
What else the meet offers
The middle-distance races add another layer of interest. Nikki Hiltz is part of the headline cast, while Cooper Lutkenhaus arrives with momentum after winning the 800m at the World Indoor Championships in March. The programme also stretches through the 1500m and 5000m, giving the meet a broader championship feel beyond the sprint lanes.
In the para events, Jaydin Blackwell, Noah Malone, Hunter Woodhall, Daniel Romanchuk and Roderick Townsend are among the names to note. Noelle Malkamaki and Valarie Sion are also part of the field, reinforcing the depth of the week’s competition.
For viewers, the message is straightforward: this is a live championship week with major names, real rivalries and a historic setting. New York City gets the national stage again, and the first races should quickly show which athletes are ready to make the weekend count.
