USA Track & Field Announces 2026 Hall of Fame Nominees
USA TRACK & FIELD ANNOUNCES NOMINEES FOR NATIONAL TRACK & FIELD HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2026
Five inductees will be selected from athlete, coach and contributor categories
INDIANAPOLIS – USA Track & Field announced today the nominees for induction into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Five legends of the sport will be selected for induction and honored at the Night of Legends ceremony December 5 in Portland, Oregon.
The 2026 nominees are divided into three categories: athlete, coach and contributor. One coach, one contributor and three athletes will be selected for this year’s class.
Athlete
Athletes are eligible for induction if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- World record holder
- American record holder
- World champion
- Olympic medalist
- World or American leader in an event for three or more years
- Winner of four or more U.S. national open championships
Athletes must be at least three years removed from open competition to be eligible, unless they are 40 years of age or older. Athletes may continue competing at the masters level during this period.
The 2026 athlete nominees are:
- Michelle Carter – 2016 Olympic gold medalist, shot put; former American record holder
- Ashton Eaton – 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, decathlon; American record holder and former world record holder
- Deena Kastor – 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, marathon; former American record holder
- Aries Merritt – 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 110-meter hurdles; former world and American record holder
- Brittany Reese – 2012 Olympic gold medalist, long jump; American record holder (indoor)
- Sanya Richards-Ross – 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medalist, 400 meters/4x400-meter relay; former American record holder
Coach
Coaches must have an outstanding record of coaching champions at their respective level, demonstrate sustained excellence or other significant achievements and have coached for a minimum of 20 years.
The 2026 coach nominees are John Chaplin, longtime Washington State University coach and Team USA Olympic coach; the late Barbara Jacket, Prairie View A&M University coach and Team USA Olympic coach; and Tom Tellez, longtime University of Houston coach.
Contributor
To be nominated in the contributor category, nominees must have served the athletics community with distinction and demonstrated outstanding contributions in the best interests of the sport for at least 20 years.
The 2026 contributor nominees are legendary track and field promoter the late Al Franken, Larry Rawson, a pioneering track and field broadcaster, and Phil Knight, founder of Nike.
Voting is underway and is limited to current members of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame, USA Track & Field volunteer leadership and members of the track and field media. The five inductees will be announced in early November.
Located at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory in New York City, the National Track & Field Hall of Fame has not inducted new members since 2021. Nominations for the 2026 class were solicited from the general public and reviewed and voted on by a selection committee convened by the USA Track & Field national office.
The 2026 inductees will join a Hall of Fame that includes some of the most accomplished athletes, coaches and contributors in the history of American track and field.
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ABOUT USATF
Based in Indianapolis, USA Track & Field® (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long distance running, and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the number one high school and junior high school participatory sport, and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
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