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SprintsNoah Lyles
Event: 100m / 200m
Why they matter: A global sprint figure with championship pedigree and a major personality in the sport.
Major achievement: Multiple world titles across sprint events.
Official profile/sourceRunning World / Athletes
Athletes to watch.
No unlicensed athlete photography here: just clean profile cards, original summaries and source links so fans can follow the sport properly.
Elite profiles
Names worth following this season.
These athletes shape headlines across sprints, distance running, marathon racing and field events.
SM
Sprints / hurdlesSydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Event: 400m hurdles / 400m
Why they matter: One of the most dominant performers in modern track with record-breaking range.
Major achievement: Olympic and world champion, world-record level performer.
Official profile/sourceFK
Middle distanceFaith Kipyegon
Event: 1500m / 5000m
Why they matter: The benchmark for modern middle-distance running, combining speed, tactics and championship nerve.
Major achievement: Multiple Olympic/world titles and world-record performances.
Official profile/sourceJI
Middle distanceJakob Ingebrigtsen
Event: 1500m / 5000m
Why they matter: A tactical and training reference point for distance fans, with range from mile-style racing to 5000m.
Major achievement: Olympic and world championship medals across middle-distance events.
Official profile/sourceBC
DistanceBeatrice Chebet
Event: 5000m / 10,000m / road
Why they matter: A major force across track and road distances with world-record level range.
Major achievement: Olympic champion and world-record performer.
Official profile/sourceSH
Marathon / distanceSifan Hassan
Event: Marathon / 5000m / 10,000m
Why they matter: One of the most versatile endurance athletes of the era, dangerous from track finals to marathon streets.
Major achievement: Olympic titles and major marathon victories.
Official profile/sourceRC
MarathonRuth Chepngetich
Event: Marathon
Why they matter: A headline marathon performer connected to one of the fastest women's marathon marks in history.
Major achievement: World marathon champion and marathon world-record performer.
Official profile/sourceMD
FieldMondo Duplantis
Event: Pole vault
Why they matter: Not a runner, but essential for athletics fans: a repeat world-record breaker and stadium headline act.
Major achievement: Olympic and world champion, multiple pole vault world records.
Official profile/sourceSources: World Athletics athlete profiles and Athletics Weekly for ongoing reporting and context.