Hello again track and field fans! As opposed to the Olympic Trials, which stretch out over a week, athletes at USAs are packing their heats, finals, and attempted doubles into just four condensed days of racing. We can expect even more unexpected outcomes in already highly volatile events like the men’s and women’s 800m, but we did our best to make sense of the madness and lay out how to watch each race below. If you just can’t get enough track and field coverage, there’s plenty more where that came from:

- Each day before the meet begins, tune in to Good Morning Track and Field (presented by Bee Keeper Coffee), where Eric Jenkins and Aisha Praught-Leer give their takes on the action and happenings in Eugene. (Also available on the Off The Rails Podcast feed.)

- After each day at the track, tune in for CHAMPS CHATS—Chris Chavez, Eric, Aisha, Anderson Emerole, and Paul Hof-Mahoney will break down all of the results and offer up their analysis from each day’s competition. (Also available on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed.)

- The CITIUS MAG Newsletter will be hitting your inbox daily with a recap of results and a round-up of the best content from the day.

- And for those in Eugene, we’ll be hosting two group runs with New Balance, Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. PT, meeting in front of Agate Alley on 1461 E. 19th Avenue. There will be coffee, treats, free “I Love Track and Field” t-shirts and the chance to try out the new FuelCell Rebel v5 and FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5. It’s going to be a great time!

Schedule + How To Watch

First Round: Thursday, July 31st at 5:31 p.m. ET (Watch it on USATF.TV)

Final: Saturday, August 2nd at 3:04 p.m. ET (Watch it on Peacock)

Last year's Olympic team: Valerie Constien, Marisa Howard, and Courtney Wayment

Who has the World Championship qualifying standard or is in the World Rankings quota: Constien, Gabi Jennings, Kaylee Mitchell, Lexy Halladay-Lowry, Wayment, Angelina Napoleon, and Olivia Markezich have run under the World Championships standard of 9:18.00; Angelina Ellis and Sophia Novak are in the World Rankings quota.

Top Contenders: The steeple at the Prefontaine Classic provided us with a pretty decent preview of USAs, with many of this week’s contenders lining up against a globally elite field. Gabbi Jennings and Kaylee Mitchell were the top two American finishers, finishing in PBs of 9:06.61 and 9:08.66. Lexy Halladay-Lowry was next up, running just off the 9:08.68 she posted in her second-place NCAA championship performance from June. 

The four other Americans in that race didn’t quite have A+ days, but if they do here, they’re just as likely to podium as the trio discussed above. Val Constien is the third fastest American steepler ever, and bounced back from a “meh” race at Pre with a 4:07 1500m PB the next week. Krissy Gear has shown flashes of brilliance at U.S. Championships in the past, particularly when the pace dawdles and it comes down to a kick—as it very well might without the presence of a Winfred Yavi upfront. Olivia Markezich and especially Courtney Wayment are both better than their performances at Pre, and slot into the same tier as the other top contenders on a more typical day. 

Dark Horses: Angelina Napoleon’s progression this season—she entered the 2025 campaign having run 9:54.08 and now is seeded at 9:10.72 heading into USAs—is already the stuff of legend. That said, she’s been on a long haul this year. If there’s anything left in the tank and she can chisel a few seconds away for the umpteenth time, she’s got a long shot at top-three. 

One Good Stat: Allie Ostrander is the only athlete in the field whose season best was run en route to a win. She has run exactly one steeplechase this year: an entirely solo 9:35.11 in a three-woman field the other weekend in Portland. 

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