STATEN ISLAND, New York — The premier event on the United States indoor track and field calendar returns to Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex this weekend as the USATF Indoor Championships presented by Prevagen bring a galaxy of top talents to compete for berths on Team USATF for the World Athletics Indoor Championships, as well as prize money and valuable rankings points.
Last year's meet saw an American indoor record in the men's 800 along with a Championships meet record in the men's 3000, and this year's lineup could produce even more record-setting performances.
Here's an event-by-event look at some of the top names scheduled to compete:
Men's 60
Jordan Anthony has the fastest time in the world this year at 6.43, set in winning the Tyson Invitational, but the 2025 NCAA indoor 60 and outdoor 100 champion for Arkansas is up against some giants in the short dash world. Olympic 100 champion Noah Lyles hasn't run the 60 yet this season, but he won the U.S. crown in 2024 at Albuquerque and has a lifetime best of 6.43 from that victory. Twice a USATF gold medalist, Ronnie Baker is the third fastest man ever in the event with a PB of 6.40 and has a best this year of 6.55, while 2016 World Indoor champion Trayvon Bromell is back at full strength and has run 6.53. Bromell's 6.42 PB ranks him No. 6 all-time.
Men's 400
Previously best known as a silver medalist on the U.S. 4x400 at the World Championships last summer, Khaleb McRae made himself known as the man to beat individually when he stunned the sport with a 44.52 at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 13. That time was better than the ratified world record of 44.57 and tied the ratified American record set by Michael Norman in 2018. Nobody in the field is within a second of him indoors this year, but Jenoah Mckiver was a gold medalist on the U.S. mixed 4x400 at Tokyo last year and is capable of sub-45 running on the boards. Chris Robinson lowered his outdoor PB to 44.15 last year. Robinson was the 2023 NCAA 400 hurdles champion and a semifinalist in that event at Tokyo in 2025.
Men's 800
Teen mania! Now 17, wunderkind Cooper Lutkenhaus left jaws dropped at last summer's USATF Championships when as a 16-year-old Texas high schooler he powered down the final stretch to claim second in 1:42.27, obliterating a slew of age-group records and earning a berth at the World Championships as the youngest American man ever to do so. He hasn't dropped off a bit this year, running 1:44.03 two weeks ago to become the No. 6 all-time world indoor performer. Isaiah Harris is the top returnee from last year, placing fourth, and he was seventh at the 2022 World Indoors. Harris improved his PB to 1:45.62 earlier this month. Other contenders include 2021 Olympic semifinalist Isaiah Jewett and 2024 NCAA outdoor champion Shane Cohen.
Men's 1500
This one is worth the price of admission, and then some. Fresh off an American indoor record run of 3:45.94 two weeks ago, Olympic 1500 champion and World Championships 5000 gold medalist Cole Hocker is the man of the moment in middle distance circles. Hocker, a two-time USATF indoor champion and silver medalist at the 2024 World Indoors, also smashed the American record in the 1500 en route to that mile with a 3:30.80, and he is unbeaten in 2026. If Hocker gives even an inch, American outdoor mile record holder Yared Nuguse will be there to take advantage. Nuguse earned bronze in the 1500 at Paris in 2024 and also claimed silver in the World Indoor 3000 that year. He has a best of 3:33.07 this season. 2023 winner Sam Prakel is in top form as evidenced by his 3:51.86 mile at the end of January, and Vincent Ciattei dropped his PB to 3:33.74 two weeks ago. A pair of Coopers, Teare and Cawthra, are also threats with sub-3:35 runs in 2026.
Men's 3000
Almost as anticipated as the 1500 is this matchup over 15 laps. Hocker and Nuguse, both past champions, are entered, and they will go up against Nico Young, the fastest American in 2026 after a 7:33.32 on Feb. 14. Young is emerging as one of the most feared kickers on the oval and showed that prowess when he flew to a 26.1 final lap in that race to leave Nuguse in his wake. He has sub-3:34 ability in the 1500 and was fifth in the 10,000 at last year's World Championships, so nothing should surprise him. Nuguse won this event two years ago before taking silver at the World Indoor meet, and his 7:28.23 in 2023 was the American record until last year. What has Hocker done? How about a dramatic 8:07.31 win in the two miles at the Millrose Games, where he also showed blazing finishing speed in clocking 56.45 for the final quarter mile. Last year's NCAA indoor champion, Ethan Strand, has a lifetime best of 7:30.15 from 2024 and ran the leadoff leg for Team USATF in the mixed relay at the World Cross Country Championships in January. Steeplechase Olympian Matt Wilkinson will be among the contenders after dropping his PB to 7:35.77, and 2023 champion Prakel is a savvy racer who can take advantage of any slipups.
Men's 60 Hurdles
Heavily favored on paper, Trey Cunningham is the seventh fastest man in history at 7.37, a time he recorded two weeks ago at Clemson. He won this event two years ago and is in tip-top shape with wins in three straight finals this season. Cunningham was the silver medalist in the 110H at the 2022 World Championships and captured indoor and outdoor NCAA titles that year. Last year's bronze medalist, Johnny Brackins, is the next fastest at 7.47 and has a PB of 7.43, while 2024 Olympic 110H silver medalist Daniel Roberts is a veteran performer who is traditionally a great starter. Ranked 12th on the all-time performer list with a 7.38 in 2025, Dylan Beard was a semifinalist in the 110H at last summer's World Championships. Eric Edwards and Jamal Britt have run a slew of European meets this season and are looking for their first Team USATF berths.
Men's 5000 Race Walk
One of the winningest walkers at this meet, Nick Christie has seven career U.S. indoor titles and is probably a good bet to pick up an eighth. Christie has more than two dozen national walk titles across the array of distances, and he is hard to beat when he steps on the oval. He was an Olympian in the 20K walk at Tokyo in 2021 and has twice been on Team USATF at the World Championships. Steadily improving Jordan Crawford was last year's silver medalist and was also a bronze medalist at 20K at the USATF outdoor meet.
Men's High Jump
With a steep World Indoor qualifying standard of 2.30/7-6.5 that no American has achieved, the nine men in the field will need to step up their game. Olympic and World Indoor silver medalist Shelby McEwen, a two-time champion, and defending champ Vernon Turner are certainly capable of navigating that height, and Eli Kosiba has also cleared it in his career. McEwen went over a PB 2.36/7-8.75 at Paris for silver and has a lifetime best of 2.33/7-7.75. He was the NCAA indoor champion in 2022 and placed sixth at the 2024 World Indoors.
Men's Pole Vault
In contrast to the high jump, U.S. pole vaulters have been very solid this year, led by KC Lightfoot's 5.91/19-4.75 season best. Lightfoot is the American record holder outdoors at 6.07/19-11, set in 2023, and was fourth at the 2021 Olympics. American indoor record holder Chris Nilsen won the last two USATF Indoors titles and has three wins in his career at this meet. He has four global medals, including silver at the 2021 Olympics and bronze at the 2022 World Indoors, and sports a lifetime best of 6.05/19-10.25. Zach Bradford is the third of the top Americans with a season best of 5.90/19-4.25 and was consistently good in a European swing this year.
Men's Long Jump
A blast from the past and a heralded newcomer in a different event top the bill. Kennedy Stringfellow's dad, Savanté, won this meet twice, in 2000 and 2004, and was the world indoor champion in 2004. The younger Stringfellow has blossomed into a contender in 2026, tacking more than a foot onto his PB with an 8.29/27-2.5 at Oklahoma in January. Also an 8.29 man now, last year's 110 hurdles world champion, Cordell Tinch, has decided to sample the long jump in 2026. The results have been encouraging. Tinch added a chunk to his PB to win the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 13, only his third career 8.00+ outing. Not to be overlooked is defending champ Will Williams, who also took the crown in 2023 and was seventh at the 2024 World Indoors. Williams has an indoor PB of 8.20/26-11. Tokyo Olympian Steffin McCarter was also fifth at the 2022 World Championships and is coming back into the form that helped him make the Games team five years ago.
Men's Triple Jump
Defending champion Russell Robinson is the best of a very small field. Robinson was eight at the World Indoors last year and took the NCAA indoor crown in 2024. He jumped an indoor PB of 16.98/55-8.5 to win the Tyson Invitational. James Carter is the sole challenger with a best past 16 meters, bringing in a 16.52/54-2.5 that he recorded behind Robinson at Tyson.
Men's Shot Put
Three of the world's best clash in what might be the best men's field event of the meet. What can you say about Joe Kovacs, surely a future Hall of Famer with eight global medals that include two World Championships golds in 2015 and 2019. Kovacs is the No. 2 performer ever with a PB of 23.23/76-2.75, and he won this meet in 2023. Roger Steen sits atop the world list in 2026 with an indoor PB blast of 22.07/72-5 at Belgrade and was the runner-up here last year. Right behind him on the global list is Jordan Geist, who powered out to an indoor PB of 22.04/72-3.75 at Ostrava on Feb. 3, matching that mark to win at Madrid three days later. 2022 World Championships bronze medalist Josh Awotunde is the only other entrant to have surpassed 22m in his career. He was seventh at the World Championships last year but will need to add a meter to his best 2026 effort to challenge the top three.
Men's Weight Throw
Last year's top returnee, fourth place finisher Isaiah Rogers, has the best entry mark at 23.79/78-0.75 and is a string favorite. The only man close to him on the measuring tape so far is Konner Wood, who has gone 23.28/76-4.5 while competing exclusively in Lubbock, Texas. Alex Kristeller was sixth in 2025.