For the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, the athletics programme will undergo changes, with the mile race replacing the 1500m and the introduction of the mixed 4x400m relay. The event is scheduled from 23 July to 2 August 2026, featuring 10 sports across four venues.
The athletics competitions will be held at Scotstoun Stadium, marking the return of the Commonwealth Mile. This race, last contested in 1966, pays homage to the legendary ‘Miracle Mile’ from the 1954 Vancouver Commonwealth Games.
In that historic event, England’s Roger Bannister and Australia’s John Landy, then the world’s only sub-four-minute milers, faced off just two months after Bannister’s groundbreaking sub-four-minute achievement.
Sebastian Coe, World Athletics President, expressed his approval of the mile’s comeback, stating, “The one mile is the quintessential Commonwealth athletics event whose return to the Games in Glasgow 2026 I very much welcome.”
Coe further highlighted the mile’s significance in athletics history, emphasised the mile’s simplicity and its enduring status as a common measurement throughout the Commonwealth.
“From 1930 through to 1966, the mile was the blue riband event of each Games. The event’s place in international sports lore was secured when Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier in May 1954. Ever since, the world has enjoyed The Miracle Mile, The Golden Mile, The Dream Mile and countless other similarly dubbed races over the distance.
“The magic of the mile continues to resonate with sports fans. A ticket to watch its Commonwealth final will be one of the must have seats in Glasgow next year.”
The complete event schedule, available on the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games website, also includes the mixed 4x400m relay. Notably, this marks a historic moment for para athletics in the Commonwealth Games, with athletes competing in jumping, throwing, and track events – the first time all three disciplines have been included in the programme.