The wait is finally over for track and field fans—the 2026 Diamond League season is about to explode onto the scene, and this year’s opener is shaping up to be an absolute classic. Great Britain’s rising star Amy Hunt will join global icons like Armand Duplantis and Faith Kipyegon at the first event of the circuit, taking place in China and broadcast live on the BBC.
The Diamond League, athletics’ premier one-day meeting series, originally scheduled its kickoff in Doha on May 8. However, due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, that event has been postponed until June. Now, all eyes turn to the Shanghai/Keqiao meet, which promises a star-studded lineup and high drama from the starting gun.
With 15 stops on the calendar, the season will build toward a thrilling two-day final in Brussels this September. That finale will then set the stage for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, making 2026 a landmark year for the sport.
Hunt, 24, who claimed her first individual global medal—a silver in the 200m at last year’s Tokyo World Championships—will face a stacked field in her signature event. She’ll go head-to-head with Jamaica’s powerhouse Shericka Jackson and American speedster Sha’Carri Richardson, making the women’s 200m a must-watch clash.
But Hunt isn’t the only Brit making waves. Ben Pattison, the 2023 world 800m bronze medalist, is back to full fitness after a frustrating spell of injuries and illness. Now hungry for more major hardware, the 24-year-old—who sits second only to Sebastian Coe on the British all-time list—has his sights set on European and Commonwealth medals this summer on home soil.
“The plan is to do both and my goal is to get two medals,” Pattison told BBC Sport ahead of his Diamond League season debut. “It’s been three years now since I’ve got a medal at a major championship, so I feel like it’s been far too long.”
Also representing Great Britain in China are discus thrower Lawrence Okoye, plus 5,000m runners Melissa Courtney-Bryant and Revee Walcott-Nolan. They’ll compete alongside a global cast that includes Kenyan legend Kipyegon, Swedish pole vault king Duplantis, and Botswanan sprint sensation Letsile Tebogo.
Whether you’re a seasoned track enthusiast or just gearing up for the summer of sport, the Diamond League opener is your first chance to see the world’s best in action. Tune in live on BBC Two from 12:00 BST on Saturday—and get ready to be inspired for your own runs, jumps, and throws.