2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships
| 46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships | |
|---|---|
| Organisers | World Athletics |
| Edition | 46th |
| Date | 10 January |
| Host city | Tallahassee, United States |
| Events | 5 |
| Distances | ~10 km – Senior men and women ~8 km – Junior men ~6 km – Junior women ~4×2 km – Mixed relay |
| Participation | 485 athletes from 52 nations |
| Official website | [1] |
2027 TBA → | |
The 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships was an athletics meeting organized by World Athletics, held on January 10, 2026 at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, United States.[1][2]
Jakob Kiplimo and Agnes Ngetich won the senior races, while Ethiopia won both team titles. Australia won the mixed relay.
Tallahassee was revealed as the location of the event, in July 2022.[3] The date was announced by World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, in Nanjing on 25 March 2025.[4] The logo, including oranges, palm trees and a bright sun, was revealed in July 2025.[5]
Schedule
The junior races preceded the senior races, and the senior men's event concluded the program.
The 46th edition of the World Athletics Cross Country Championships was held on 10 January 2026. The schedule consisted of five events– 10 km men and women, 8 km under-20 men, 6 km under-20 women, and 4 x 2 km mixed relay.[6] In each of the races, each nation was allowed to field a maximum of up to six athletes.
The mixed relay team consisted of teams of two women and two men each running one loop of the course in a specified order, starting with a male and alternating between genders. Athletes were to carry a wristband that was to be transferred to the next athlete within the takeover zone.
| Date | Time (EST) | Events |
|---|---|---|
| 10 January | 09:45 | Mixed Relay |
| 10:20 | U20 race women | |
| 10:55 | U20 race men | |
| 11:35 | Senior race women | |
| 12:20 | Senior race men |
Broadcast
| Country | Broadcast Company/Network |
|---|---|
| Worldwide | World Athletics Inside Track |
| Europe/Israel | Eurovision Sports |
| Australia | World Athletics Inside Track |
| United States | NBC/Peacock |
| Canada | CBC |
| United Kingdom | Eurovision Sport/BBC |
| Spain | Tele Deportes |
| Italy | Rai Sports |
| South America | TYC Sports |
| Turkey | TRT |
| Norway | NRK |
| Japan | U-NEXT TV |
| Kenya, Ethiopia | SuperSport Variety 1 |
Live Results
Course Map
2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships Course Map
Senior Races Prize Money
| Rank | Championship | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Team | Mixed relay (per team) | |
| Gold | US$30,000 | US$20,000 | US$12,000 |
| Silver | US$15,000 | US$16,000 | US$8000 |
| Bronze | US$10,000 | US$12,000 | US$6000 |
| Fourth | US$7000 | US$10,000 | US$4000 |
| Fifth | US$5000 | US$8000 | — |
| Sixth | US$3000 | US$4000 | |
Participation
A total of 485 athletes are entered for the championships, with 52 federations being represented.[13]
- Algeria (7)
- Argentina (4)
- Australia (30)
- Bangladesh (2)
- Belgium (1)
- Bolivia (2)
- Burundi (7)
- Canada (39)
- China (23)
- Estonia (2)
- Ethiopia (21)
- Fiji (2)
- France (12)
- French Polynesia (2)
- Ghana (1)
- Great Britain (30)
- Guam (1)
- Honduras (1)
- India (7)
- Ireland (4)
- Israel (3)
- Ivory Coast (1)
- Japan (24)
- Jordan (3)
- Kenya (35)
- Kyrgyzstan (1)
- Latvia (2)
- Lebanon (9)
- Macau (1)
- Mexico (12)
- Morocco (6)
- Namibia (1)
- Netherlands (1)
- New Zealand (24)
- Northern Mariana Islands (2)
- Palestine (1)
- Papua New Guinea (2)
- Peru (10)
- Philippines (1)
- Senegal (2)
- Seychelles (1)
- Singapore (5)
- South Africa (29)
- Spain (20)
- Sudan (1)
- Sweden (4)
- Tanzania (9)
- Uganda (26)
- United States (37)
- U.S. Virgin Islands (2)
- Venezuela (3)
- Zimbabwe (8)
Medalists
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | ||||||
| Senior men |
Jacob Kiplimo Uganda |
28:18 | Berihu Aregawi Ethiopia |
28:36 | Daniel Simiu Ebenyo Kenya |
28:45 |
| Senior women |
Agnes Ngetich Kenya |
31:28 | Joy Cheptoyek Uganda |
32:10 | Senayet Getachew Ethiopia |
32:13 |
| U20 men |
Frankline Kibet Kenya |
23:18 | Emmanuel Kiprono Kenya |
23:20 | Andrew Alamisi Kenya |
23:28 |
| U20 women |
Marta Alemayo Ethiopia |
18:52 | Wosane Asefa Ethiopia |
19:18 | Charity Cherop Uganda |
19:19 |
| Team | ||||||
| Senior 4x2km Mixed Relay |
Australia | 22:23 | France | 22:26 | Ethiopia | 22:34 |
| Senior men |
Ethiopia | 30 pts | Kenya
|
34 pts | Uganda
|
39 pts |
| Senior women |
Ethiopia | 19 pts | Kenya | 36 pts | Uganda
|
37 pts |
| U20 men |
Kenya
|
10 pts | Uganda
|
31 pts | United States
|
75 pts |
| U20 women |
Uganda | 29 pts | Kenya
|
29 pts | Japan
|
87 pts |
Medal table
* Host nation (United States)
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenya (KEN) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | Ethiopia (ETH) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Uganda (UGA) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 4 | Australia (AUS) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | France (FRA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United States (USA)* | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (7 entries) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 | |
Results
Senior 4x2km Mixed Relay
| Rank | Team | Points | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australia
|
22:23 | |||||||||
France
|
22:26 | |||||||||
Ethiopia
|
22:34 | |||||||||
| 4 | Kenya
|
22:42 | ||||||||
| 5 | United States
|
22:43 | ||||||||
| 6 | South Africa
|
23:04 | ||||||||
| 7 | United Kingdom
|
23:11 | ||||||||
| 8 | Uganda
|
23:43 | ||||||||
| 9 | Canada
|
23:43 | ||||||||
| 10 | Japan
|
24:08 | ||||||||
| 11 | Tanzania
|
24:11 | ||||||||
| 12 | India
|
24:13 | ||||||||
| 13 | China
|
24:38 | ||||||||
| 14 | New Zealand
|
24:48 | ||||||||
| 15 | Mexico
|
25:11 |
Senior Men
|
|
Senior women
|
|
U20 men
|
|
U20 women
|
|
Controversies
At least 14 Ethiopian athletes were denied visas to enter the United States to participate in this competition. Ethiopia was unable to field teams in the men's and women's U20 races, ending Ethiopia's record of medaling in those competitions.[20]
Although Ethiopia had won men's U20 team medals every year since 1982, in 2026 there was no Ethiopian U20 men's team as the US refused visas for all but one of the six men selected. Since their debut in 1990, Ethiopia's U20 women had won medals in 27 consecutive championships, including team golds at the last five events. In 2026, only three Ethiopian U20 women of six selected were granted visas. Four athletes are needed to complete a junior team at the world cross-country. According to Ethiopian officials, 23 of the original 34 visa requests were rejected.[21]
References
- ^ "Leon County wins bid to host 2026 World Cross Country Championships at Apalachee Regional Park". 15 July 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ World Athletics Cross Country Championships World Athletics
- ^ Mike Rowbottom (14 July 2022). "Hosts of 2024 and 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships announced". Inside the Games. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ Bernard Rotich (26 March 2025). "AK raises alarm over 2026 World Cross Country date". Daily Nation. Kenya.
- ^ "Upcoming World Athletics Cross Country Championships unveils logo for 2026 race set in Tallahassee". Tallahassee: WCTV. 9 July 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "World Athletics Cross Country Championships". World Athletics. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships timetable World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships medal design announcement World Athletics
- ^ WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS TALLAHASSEE 26 USATF
- ^ the medal design for the event was created by Florida State Athletics Hall of Famer and 2008 U.S. Olympian Rafeeq Curry. Tallahassee Democrat
- ^ Visit Tallahassee Tallahassee, Florida
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships Timetable World Athletics
- ^ "Athletes by event and federation" (PDF). World Athletics. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ MIXED RELAY MIXED RESULT 10 JAN 2026 09:45 World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships Senior Men Results World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships U20 RACE MEN 10 JAN 2026 10:55 Individual Standings World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships U20 RACE MEN 10 JAN 2026 10:55 Team Standings World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships Final Individual Standings U20 RACE WOMEN 10 JAN 2026 10:20 World Athletics
- ^ 2026 World Athletics Cross Country U20 Championship RACE WOMEN 10 JAN 2026 10:20 Team Standings World Athletics
- ^ "Visa woes block top world cross country runners from competing in Florida". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ^ "Race Issues". Private Eye (1667). 23 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
External links
- Video on World Athletics on YouTube
- 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships SENIOR RACE MEN 10 JAN 2026 12:20 Individual Results World Athletics
- SENIOR RACE MEN 10 JAN 2026 12:20 Final Team Standings World Athletics
- "Senior Race women 10 Jan 2026 11:35". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Senior Race women 10 Jan 2026 11:35". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 2026-01-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)