Athlete Information

AWARDS & PRIZE MONEY

A gold medal, emblematic of the Championships of the United States of America, will be given to the winner of each Championship event, a silver medal to second place, and bronze medals to third place.

Prize Money

For the 2026 USATF Indoor Championships, USATF will pay prize money to the first through fifth place finishers in each Championship event, except Weight Throw and Race Walk. 

The prize money for Weight Throw and Race Walk is being used for Winter Long Throw Nationals and the 2026 Half Marathon Race Walk Championships for maximize World Athletic points. 

The prize structure for all other events is as follows:

• 1^st - $6,000
• 2^nd - $4,000
• 3^rd - $2,500
• 4^th - $1,500
• 5^th - $1,000

• Please make sure your contact information (email address and phone number) is up to date under your USATF Connect profile.
• College/University: Athletes with collegiate eligibility (at the time the event was contested), should check with their respective university compliance departments to determine if they are eligible to receive prize money, according to NCAA bylaws (i.e. actual and necessary or Enhanced Operation Gold Program*). If an athlete with collegiate eligibility is approved to receive prize money, the university compliance representative must provide approval/documentation to USATF via email (Sariyu.Suggs@usatf.org).  The deadline to provide this approval/documentation from your university/college compliance department is December 31, 2026, to be eligible to receive this prize money.

*Applies to 2026 designated elite-level events
 
Athletes are eligible to receive prize money in more than one event.  
High School: High school athletes must check with their High School Association to confirm if it is permissible to accept the funds and continue to compete for their high school team.  If a high school athlete is approved to receive prize money, the high school association representative must provide approval/documentation to USATF via email (Sariyu.Suggs@usatf.org).  The deadline to provide this approval documentation from the High School Association is December 31, 2026, to be eligible to receive this prize money. TRAVEL FUNDING

An allocation of funds ($1,000) will be provided to the following athletes:

1. Defending USATF Indoor Champion in each event, if entered, qualified, and declared
2. The top three (3) ranked indoor performers during the qualifying window.
3. 2026 USATF Tier and TPP athletes 

For all other events, the travel allocation funds will be awarded to the top ranked athletes in the distances/disciplines being contested at the Championships and NOT FOR TIMES OR DISTANCES ACHIEVED IN ALTERNATE QUALIFYING DISTANCES/TIMES (i.e. rank in the 1500m, but not Mile).
The only exception to this would be in the case of the allocation to the Defending Champion, who simply needs to be ENTERED, QUALIFIED, and DECLARED by the deadline in order to be allocated and, therefore, could use an alternate distance/time.

In order to be eligible for the USATF Indoor Championships travel allocations, an athlete must be a current USATF member in good standing; must have entered and achieved qualifying mark during the qualifying window (see Qualifying Information for these dates); and must be a citizen of the United States of America who is eligible to represent the U.S. in international competition. Dual Citizens, please take note.

Travel Funding Breakdown

An allocation of funds in the amount of $1,000 will be provided to athletes in each event who meet the funding criteria above. Athletes will only be eligible to receive travel funding if they are entered and declared by the respective deadlines. Athletes must compete in the 2026 USATF Indoor Championships to receive travel funding. Athletes who qualify for travel funding before the event will be approved for funding when they complete credentialing but must return the funds if they ultimately do not compete at the Championships.

Travel Funding Distribution

• Athletes who qualify for pre-travel funding will receive their travel allocation via ACH (direct deposit). Funding will be approved when athlete’s check-in and complete credentialing and will be deposited into athlete’s (or other approved bank account) within 30 business days after the completion of the event. Please note the timeline will be longer for any newly completed financial forms or any discrepancies.
• Athletes with collegiate eligibility should check with their university compliance department to see if they are eligible to receive this travel funding according to NCAA rules. If an athlete with collegiate eligibility is approved to receive funding, the university compliance representative should reach out to USATF via email (Sariyu.Suggs@usatf.org) to provide details/approval/amounts the athlete is eligible to receive.
• Athletes who are eligible to receive travel funding for this event are required to complete:
  • IRS Form W-9 Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification: USATF will reach out to the eligible athlete to request this information via an electronic form (via Team Works), if there isn’t a form on file.
  • ACH (Direct Deposit Form) will also be a requirement: USATF will reach out to the eligible athlete to request this information via an electronic form (via Team Works), if there isn’t a form on file.

TEAM SELECTION PROCEDURES

• 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships Athlete Selection Procedures

SRY Testing

• SRY Testing will be available at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314. Testing will be available on the first day of credentialing and during team processing hours.
• In 2026, World Athletics has expanded the number of meets requiring the completion of SRY genetic testing to include all World Athletics Series events (i.e., World Indoor Championships, World Cross Country Championships, World Relays, World Race Walk Team Championships), the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, all World Marathon Majors, and all 2026 Diamond League meets. 
  • Note that in 2027, the list of events will expand again to add the NACAC Championships and all Continental Tour Gold meets (indoor and outdoor).
• General testing information
  • Tests are saliva sample collection.  No blood is drawn.
  • Athletes will have to sign a consent form.
  • World Athletics is no longer subsidizing the cost of the test.  Athletes will be required to pay for the cost of the test with a credit card.  In-person testing cost charged by the lab is $150, with mail order costs slightly higher due to the cost of shipping.  USATF does not earn any revenue from the testing costs.
  • Results will be sent back to athletes typically within 7 days.
  • For this service offered by USATF, only USA athletes who are eligible to represent the USA in international competition can be tested.
  • Athletes only need to be tested once during their career.