ATHLETICS SEASON: Africa takes centre stage as global athletics comes home

The global athletics season gathers momentum, Africa once again positions itself at the heart of elite track and field, hosting a rich spread of high‑profile competitions between April and May.

From World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings to senior continental championships and global relay showdowns, the coming weeks underline the continent’s growing influence—not just as a producer of champions, but as a reliable host of world‑class events.

This window is more than a calendar convenience. It represents Africa’s consolidation as a critical early‑season hub, offering athletes competitive opportunities, ranking points, and a return to the roots of high‑performance athletics.

Africa's biggest sports broadcaster SuperSport brings you the action LIVE!

APRIL: A CONTINENT IN FULL FLIGHT

Kip Keino Classic – Nairobi, Kenya (24 April 2026) - SS Variety 3, Africa 1, Maximo 3 (5-7pm) 

Few meetings capture Africa’s athletics soul quite like the Absa Kip Keino Classic, now firmly established as a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event. Hosted at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium, the seventh edition brings together Olympic and world champions from across the globe, while celebrating Africa’s rich middle‑ and long‑distance heritage.

The 2026 meeting is particularly significant, arriving at a time when athletes are chasing early qualification marks and world ranking points. With stars such as Gabby Thomas, Ferdinand Omanyala, and Ese Brume confirmed to appear, Nairobi once again becomes a showcase of elite speed, power, and endurance.

Beyond performance, the Kip Keino Classic continues to set benchmarks in event presentation, athlete services, and fan engagement, reinforcing Kenya’s place on the global hosting map.

Botswana Golden Grand Prix – Gaborone (26 April 2026) - SS Variety 3, Africa 2, (2-6pm)

One of Africa’s most prestigious single‑day meetings, the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, returns on 26 April as a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event. Since attaining Gold status, the meeting has transformed Botswana into a sprint powerhouse destination, attracting global stars while showcasing homegrown talents such as Letsile Tebogo.

The 2026 edition carries added importance, doubling as a test event for the World Athletics Relays, allowing organisers to assess logistics, officiating, and infrastructure under competition conditions. This strategic layering of events highlights Africa’s increasing professionalism in long‑term event planning.

The Simbine Classic – Pilditch Stadium, Tshwane (28 April)

When the starting gun fires at Pilditch Stadium on Tuesday, 28 April, it will mark a watershed moment for South African athletics.

The inaugural Simbine Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting, is not merely another date on the international calendar — it is a long‑awaited return of elite, globally ranked track and field competition to South African soil.

The meeting becomes the first Continental Tour Silver event ever staged in South Africa, elevating the country’s athletics profile at a time when African athletes continue to dominate world sprinting, middle‑distance and relay events.

Main programme highlights include: 100m (men & women), 300m (men & women), 110m hurdles (men), 100m hurdles (women), 3000m (men), Long jump (men), Shot put (men), javelin throw (women), 4x100m relays (men & women), 4x400m relay (women)

MAY: GLOBAL AND CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TAKE OVER

World Athletics Relays – Gaborone, Botswana (2–3 May 2026) - 

The spotlight intensifies in early May as Gaborone hosts the World Athletics Relays, one of the sport’s premier team events. Nations arrive battling not only for medals, but for qualification spots into later global championships.

Hosting the Relays places Botswana—and Africa—squarely at the centre of global athletics broadcasting and logistics, reinforcing confidence in the continent’s capacity to deliver technically demanding championships.

CAA African Senior Athletics Championships – Accra, Ghana (12–17 May 2026) - SS Variety 3, Africa 1, Maximo 360 (1:55-5pm)

The competitive arc peaks with the African Senior Athletics Championships, staged in Accra. This flagship event determines continental supremacy across all disciplines and serves as a proving ground for Africa’s next generation of global stars.

For established names, it is an opportunity to assert dominance; for emerging athletes, it is often their first real test on a multi‑event continental stage.