Happy Monday, track fans! We’re now only four short days away from the start of track and field at the Paris Olympics, so if you’re getting tired of swimming and gymnastics getting all the attention, just wait: the best is yet to come.

A full schedule of events with live results can be found here. You can also find a searchable list of entries and a helpful FAQ on the World Athletics website.

In the United States, track and field events will be broadcast on Peacock (subscription required) and the NBC/Universal family of TV stations. A full broadcast schedule can be found here. If you don’t live in the U.S. and want to watch, more information on international broadcasts can be found here.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the women’s distance events at the Paris Olympics.

Women’s 800 meters

First round: Friday, August 2, 1:45 pm E.T.

Even though we won’t get to see the three way rematch everyone wanted given Athing Mu’s absence from the US team, the women’s 800m remains a hugely exciting event headlined by World champ Mary Moraa and world leader Keely Hodgkinson. Of the top 16 times in the world this year, 13 of them came in just three races (eight of them in the London Diamond League, three at the Pre Classic and two at the LA Grand Prix). There are 15 athletes who have broken 1:58 this season, 12 of which will be lining up at the Olympics, and a tactical race could easily let a lot more runners into the mix.

Top contenders: Hodgkinson goes in as favorite, having just run the sixth fastest time in history (and fastest since Caster Semenya in 2018) with a 1:54.61 in London. She’s also the silver medallist at the last three global championships and the top returner from Tokyo. She remains unbeaten in her six 800m races this season, including winning European Championship gold while being visibly unwell. Last year it was Moraa who managed to disrupt both Mu and Hodgkinson’s golden ambitions, but her season this year has been a little up and down, including a second place at Kenyan Trials. However, at the Pre Classic this year, it appears Keely may have unlocked the secret to beating her rival: simply running her own race and ignoring the multiple changes of pace that Moraa likes to inject, which led her to come from mid-pack to beat Moraa by nearly a second.

Other athletes to watch: Scot Jemma Reekie is the second fastest in the world this year and finished fourth in Tokyo – she’ll be looking to upgrade to a medal this time around. But she was beaten at the British Trials by 17-year-old phenom Phoebe Gill, who arguably has as much of a shot at a medal as Reekie. Looking to spoil the British podium party will be Team USA’s Nia Akins, following her fantastic performance at Olympic Trials, and World Indoor champion Tsigie Duguma, alongside fellow Ethiopian Habitam Alemu. South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso has also become a consistent 1:57 runner this year, winning two Diamond Leagues. Home crowd hopes rest on Rénelle Lamote, who ran 1:57.06 in London but had a late start to her season.

Women’s 1500 meters

First round: Tuesday, August 6, 4:05 am E.T.

There is probably no heavier favorite on the track than Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon in the women’s 1500m. The double Olympic Champion, 2022 and 2023 World Champion and multiple world record holder put any doubts about her fitness after an early-season injury by further lowering her world record to a mind boggling 3:49.04 in Paris in early July. It was recently announced that Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, the second fastest in the world this year at 3:50.30, will focus on the 1500m and 5000m instead of attempting a triple with the 10,000m, but history has shown that Kipyegon has Tsegay’s number, as she’s 13-0 against her rival over 1500m.

Top contenders: Behind Tsegay, Jessica Hull of Australia has rocketed her standing into to the top contenders list after her brave run of 3:50.83, going with Kipyegon during her world record attempt, and then breaking the 2,000m world record a few days later in Monaco. Ethiopians Birke Haylom and Diribe Welteji are the next fastest this year, but their consistency in championships is slightly more questionable, with both finishing down the field at World Indoors in March. But Welteji picked up silver in Budapest and is one of the rare runners to beat Kipyegon when she became World Road Mile Champion at the end of last year.

The Team USA trio of Nikki Hiltz, Emily MacKay, and Elle St. Pierre have put themselves firmly in the mix with their amazing races at the Olympic Trials. Hiltz has a devastating close and they now have shown the strength to hang at any pace. St. Pierre has gone blow-for-blow with Hull earlier in the season and should be confident that she might even be able to hang with Kipyegon. And all three Americans picked up hardware at World Indoors, with Hiltz and MacKay going 2-3 in the 1500m and St. Pierre outkicking Tsegay to win the 3000m.

More names to watch: Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir of Great Britain has had an odd season, running some of her fastest times including a PR of 3.53:79, but not finishing far up the field in some of the more competitive races she has run. Muir lost out on the British title to Georgia Bell, who has been having a breakout season and has a fierce closing kick. Ciara Mageean of Ireland was fourth in Budapest and picked up a Euro title as well. Finally, there is the perennial wildcard in Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who is still entered in four events. Her one 1500m this season has not been great, which suggests she may opt out of the event, especially as the final comes the night before the marathon, but Hassan has made a career of defying conventional racing wisdom, so who knows.

Women’s 5000 meters

First round: Friday, August 2, 12:10 pm E.T.

Faith Kipyegon comes into the 5000m as the 2023 World champion, having unexpectedly run the 5000m world record last year in her first 5000m race since 2015. Kipyegon is less of a heavy favorite in the longer race, which comes earlier in the program and has to face off with current world record holder Gudaf Tsegay, but given that both will be running on fresh legs here, a fair fight will still likely favor the Kenyan and her blazing footspeed.

Top Contenders: Last year’s bronze medallist Beatrice Chebet appears to have stepped up a level this year, with her victory in World Cross Country and 10,000m world record at the Pre Classic, outkicking Tsegay who was leading that record attempt. Having proven she can hang with a hot pace and kick with the best of the world, she’s arguably got the tools to be an even bigger threat to Kipyegon than Tsegay. Assuming Sifan Hassan takes to the track for this one, she’s shown better form over 5000m than 1500m so far this season, and will be looking to defend her Olympic title. As the first event in her potentially insane schedule, she will also be at her freshest, which ought to improve her medal odds.

More names to watch: Ethiopians Medina Eisa and Ejgaheyu Taye are sub 14:20 performers, so they’re also likely to be in the mix, with Taye having finished fifth in 2021 and 2023. Italy’s Nadia Batocletti comes in with confidence having completed the 5000m and 10,000m double at the European Championships and showing a strong final couple of laps – a prerequisite to be competitive at the global level. And a slightly more tactical race would be great for Team USA’s Elise Cranny and Karissa Schweizer, who haven’t yet clocked the top-tier times of the headliners but have shown a consistent ability to kick well in championships.

Women’s 10,000 meters

Final: Friday, August 9, 2:55 pm E.T.

Beatrice Chebet’s 28.54:19 world record makes her a solid favorite for gold in Paris, and this is probably her better chance compared to the 5000m, with no Kipyegon or Tsegay to stand in her way. There is also no Letesenbet Gidey, who is taking a break from running this year after a tough start to the season and getting married in May, so we are missing an athlete who has been a medalist over this distance for the last four global championships, which leaves some medal spots relatively wide open.

Top contenders: With another heavy caveat as to whether she will line up, Sifan Hassan, who was meters from winning 10,000m gold in Budapest last year before a dramatic fall, is likely to be Chebet’s biggest competition for the gold medal if she toes the line and hasn’t lost her speed. Margaret Kipkemboi (Kenya) was the bronze medallist in Eugene and has been a consistent championship performer over 5000m as well since 2019. Her compatriot Lilian Rengeruk was second in the World Cross Country behind Chebet and both athletes have run sub 29:30 so should be considered podium contenders.

More names to watch: Following Tsegay’s withdrawal, the Ethiopian trio is Fotyen Tesfay, Tsigie Gebreselama, and Aynadis Mebratu – all of whom could be in the mix, with Tesfay winning the Ethiopian Trials in 29.47:71. Gebreselama had a great solo effort at the TEN earlier in the season, and will be running angry as she is the fastest in the world over 5000m this season but was not selected in that team. It will be interesting to see if Brit Eilish McColgan can come back well from injury, or whether American Weini Kelati can keep her dream season going. Americans will also keep an eye on NCAA champ Parker Valby, who’s making her Olympic debut, to see just how fast she can go.

Women’s Steeplechase

First round: Sunday, August 4, 4:05 am E.T.

In 2023, the women’s steeplechase appeared to be having a bit of a down year, with only one athlete under nine minutes prior to the season-ending Diamond League final in mid-September. However, that final race delivered, with World champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain posting the second fastest time in history at 8:50.66. Early 2024 saw sub-nines on opposite sides of the world, with Olympic champ Peruth Chemutai of Uganda taking down world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech in China then Chepkoech soloing a strong performance at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. But Chepkoech, Yavi, and Chemutai have all had some dud races along with their great ones this season, and no one seems to be invincible or even a favorite for gold.

Top Contenders: Chemutai has had the fewest poor performances, so maybe she’s the favorite – but it’s really anyone’s guess. With the top contenders looking somewhat inconsistent there is definitely room on the podium for a few others, and anyone running sub 9:10 this year is likely in the conversation. This includes the U.S. team of Val Constien, Courtney Wayment, and Marisa Howard, and Constein in particular is looking good with her 9:03.22 at the Trials being the third fastest time in the world this year.

More names to watch: Alice Finot of France will carry the hopes of the home crowd, having shown excellent championship form to win at Europeans, and backing that up with a 9:05.02 national record at the Paris Diamond League. Lizzie Bird of Great Britain has also recently rediscovered her best form, running 9:09.07 in Paris to back up a bronze at Euros. And the Kenyan team is always a threat in the steeple so Kenyan Trials winner Faith Cherotich in particular is likely to be in the mix, since Jackline Chepkoech only has a 9:19.64 season’s best (although her 8:57.35 PB from 2023 can’t be ignored).

Women’s Marathon

Final: Sunday, August 11, 2:00 am E.T.