London Diamond League: Kerr, Hodgkinson headline stellar meet
The 2026 Novuna London Athletics Meet returns to London Stadium on Saturday, July 18, as the 11th stop of this season’s Wanda Diamond League, bringing together Olympic champions, world champions and world record holders for one of the year’s premier athletics events. With the World Athletics Championships fast approaching, the meeting offers elite athletes one final opportunity to test themselves against world-class competition.
The headline attraction is Britain’s Josh Kerr, who will attempt to break the men’s mile world record in front of a home crowd. Alongside Kerr’s record pursuit, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, pole vault world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, sprint stars Julien Alfred and Gabrielle Thomas, and 400m hurdles specialists Karsten Warholm and Rai Benjamin headline a stacked programme.
The main Diamond League programme runs from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. BST (8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET), while the pre-programme begins at 12:13 p.m. BST.
Full schedule (BST)
13:04 – Women’s Discus Throw
13:30 – Men’s Pole Vault
14:03 – Men’s 400m Hurdles
14:10 – Women’s High Jump
14:14 – Women’s 400m
14:25 – Men’s 800m
14:35 – Women’s 3000m
14:49 – Women’s Long Jump
14:53 – Men’s 110m Hurdles
15:04 – Men’s 100m
15:15 – Women’s 200m
15:26 – Men’s 400m
15:36 – Men’s Emsley Carr Mile
15:51 – Women’s 800m
Star-studded entry list
All eyes will be on the Emsley Carr Mile, where Kerr will attempt to lower the world record against one of the strongest mile fields assembled this season. Olympic silver medalist Yared Nuguse leads the challengers, while several of the world’s fastest milers are expected to push the pace in what promises to be the meeting’s marquee event.
British Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson headlines the women’s 800 metres as she continues her outstanding campaign on home soil. She is joined by reigning Olympic champion Tsige Duguma, Dutch middle-distance runner Femke Bol and other elite competitors in one of the deepest women’s middle-distance fields of the Diamond League season.
The women’s 200 metres features another blockbuster showdown as Olympic champion Julien Alfred renews her rivalry with American world champion Gabrielle Thomas. In comparison, the men’s 100 metres includes Botswana Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and several other international sprint stars.
In the field events, Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis returns to London for the men’s pole vault after another dominant Diamond League campaign. The world record holder remains one of athletics’ biggest attractions and is always viewed as a contender to improve his own global mark.
The men’s 400m hurdles also promises fireworks, with Olympic champion Karsten Warholm among the headline names in a world-class field featuring several Olympic and world medallists.
How to watch
Fans worldwide will have multiple options to follow the action live.
United Kingdom
- BBC Two
- BBC iPlayer
- Coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. BST
United States
- FloTrack (subscription required)
Canada
Selected international territories
- Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel
Spectators wishing to attend can still purchase the remaining tickets through Ticketmaster UK, although organisers have reported exceptionally strong demand for this year’s meeting.
Major storylines
Kerr’s pursuit of the mile world record is expected to dominate headlines, but London also provides several Olympic champions with a crucial competitive outing before the World Championships.
Hodgkinson will be aiming to continue her impressive run of form in front of a home audience, while Alfred and Thomas renew one of track and field’s emerging sprint rivalries. Duplantis returns to one of his favourite venues, and Warholm continues preparations for another championship campaign.
With elite fields across nearly every event and multiple world record holders in action, the 2026 London Diamond League is shaping up to be one of the highlights of this year’s athletics calendar.
