The global track and field community has turned its full attention to the 2026 World Athlete of the Year awards, as World Athletics officially announced its shortlist of twenty exceptional nominees. Highlighting this year’s roster of ten women and ten men are four dominant African athletes whose historic, record-breaking performances have captivated sports fans worldwide. With voting now officially underway, public participation accounts for a vital twenty-five percent of the total tally alongside votes from elite athletes, international media, and the World Athletics family.
The four nominees—representing Kenya, Ethiopia, and Botswana—have defined distance running and sprinting throughout an extraordinary 2026 campaign. Their accomplishments span world-record marathon breakthroughs, cross-country dominance, and unprecedented consistency on the track.
Sebastian Sawe (Kenya) – The Sub-Two-Hour Pioneer
Leading the men’s nominations is Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe, who etched his name into distance-running folklore earlier this year. On April 26 at the London Marathon, Sawe accomplished what was long considered humanly impossible in an official, record-eligible competition: he broke the mythical two-hour barrier, storming across the finish line in 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. Shattering the official world record, Sawe enters the awards as a primary contender alongside top global talent, including defending overall champion Mondo Duplantis.
Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) – Queen of the Marathon
Ethiopian marathon icon Tigst Assefa continues her reign at the pinnacle of road racing. The Olympic silver medalist delivered a masterclass double in 2026. On April 26, Assefa secured her second consecutive London Marathon title in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds, establishing a brand-new world record for a women-only race. She followed that milestone with another sensational victory at the Berlin Marathon on September 27. Despite battling an injury in the closing stages, Assefa clocked 2:11:04, breaking the course record and achieving the third-fastest women’s marathon time in history.
Agnes Ngetich (Kenya) – Multi-Terrain Dominance
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich proved virtually unbeatable on both the roads and cross-country terrain throughout 2026. She captured the World Athletics Road Running Half Marathon title in commanding fashion, winning by 50 seconds and setting an all-female world record of 1 hour, 05 minutes, and 15 seconds. Complementing her road achievements, Ngetich delivered a dominant 42-second victory at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, cementing her status as one of the most versatile long-distance runners on the planet.
Collen Kebinatshipi (Botswana) – The 400m Phenom
In the sprints, 22-year-old Collen Kebinatshipi from Botswana reinforced his standing as the undisputed king of the quarter-mile. Building upon his 2025 world title, Kebinatshipi produced a legendary 2026 season on the circuit. He claimed the overall Diamond League crown while lowering the competition record three separate times down to 43.40 seconds. He capped off his year at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, claiming victory in 43.39 seconds—the fifth-fastest time in history. Over the course of the single calendar year, Kebinatshipi broke the 44-second barrier an astonishing six times, setting a new single-season record.
The public voting window closes on Saturday, Today October 17 at midnight Central European Time (CET). Following the tally of all voting bodies, World Athletics will officially announce the narrowed list of finalists on November 10 and 11. The overall winners will be crowned at the annual World Athletics Awards gala in Monaco on November 29, 2026.
