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, on 24-25 March.
The Council awarded the 2026 World Athletics Relays to Gaborone in Botswana (2-3 May 2026) and the 2028 World Athletics Relays to Nassau in The Bahamas (22-23 April 2028).
The 2026 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships will be staged in Brasília in Brazil (12 April 2026).
“I am delighted that Botswana’s commitment to athletics, both through their elite athletes and their event hosting capabilities, has led them to hosting the World Athletics Relays next year,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
“This is the fourth World Championship event Africa has staged over the last decade, in addition to the Diamond League and Continental Tour Gold events, and we are seeing a real increase in experience, expertise and skills.
“We are determined to support Member Federations in their ambitions to grow through hosting our events. Both The Bahamas and Brazil have hosted events in the past and their talented athletes will, I know, generate local and international excitement.”
The World Athletics Relays in Gaborone will see Botswana host a World Athletics Series event for the first time. The country’s capital city held a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting for the first time in 2023 and this year’s Botswana Golden Grand Prix, taking place in Gaborone on 12 April, will also be a Gold-level meeting.
“This is a moment of immense pride for Botswana,” said Minister of Sport and Arts Jacob Kelebeng. “The World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 will ignite a national passion, drawing the world to our shores and showcasing our unique spirit.”
“We humbly welcome athletes and fans alike, knowing that this event will inspire generations and leave a lasting legacy of triumph and unity.”
The World Athletics Relays will return to Nassau, The Bahamas for the fifth time in 2028, following the city’s hosting of the event in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2024.
The 2026 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships will be the third time that Brazil has hosted a World Athletics Series event, following the 1998 World Road Relay Championships in Manaus and the 2008 World Half Marathon Championships in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro then hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016, and 10 years on the world’s best race walkers will head to Brasília.
Other competition updates
In other event news, the World Athletics Council approved the timetable for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Tallahassee 26. The event, which will take place on 10 January 2026, will kick off with the mixed relay at 9:45am local time and end with the men’s 10km from 12:20pm.
Saturday 10 January 2026
9:45am – mixed relay
10:20am – women’s U20 6km
10:55am – men’s U20 8km
11:35am – women’s 10km
12:20pm – men’s 10km
Related to the relays, the World Athletics Council approved the running order for the 4x100m mixed relay at the upcoming World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 as woman, woman, man, man. This running order will be reviewed after the event in Guangzhou.
Records for the 4x100m mixed relay will be recognised as of 1 January 2026 (with the inaugural performance to better the recognised world best performance as of the end of 2025).
As well as forming part of the race programme for the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, the mixed 4x100m will be contested at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in 2026.
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World Athletics (formerly the International Association of Athletics Federations - IAAF) is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, such as running, jumping and throwing.
