Entry, Qualification, & Declaration Information

• Important Dates
• Entry Requirements
• Eligibility Information
• Qualifying Standards
• Entry & Declaration Process
• Entry & Declaration Status
• Registration Changes
  • Affiliation Changes

Important Dates

Qualifying Window

• All events June 1, 2025 - June 14, 2026

Entry & Declaration

Entries Open	April 8, 2026
Entries Close	June 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EDT
Declarations Open	June 9, 2026
Declarations Close	June 15, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EDT

Entry Requirements

1. All qualifying performances for the Championships must be attained on an eligible track in the period June 1, 2025, to June 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET for all events except the 10,000 meter Race Walk. The qualifying window for the 10,000 meter Race Walk is January 1, 2025, to June 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Pay special attention to qualifying information and dates. All athletes must be entered on time to be considered.
2. Qualifying marks must be made in accordance with USATF Rule 149 and verifiable in one of the following:
   1. USATF or World Athletics sanctioned meets/events which prescribe to or exceed USATF competition rules, or
   2. College meets/events which prescribe to or exceed USATF competition rules, or
   3. High school meets but not dual or triangular meets.
   4. Meets or events which meet a minimum for competitiveness as set by the Chair of the Sport Committee and determined to be valid by the USATF staff member responsible for the verification and validity of marks.
   5. Please refer to the section below on criteria for a legal meet.
3. Hand times are acceptable only for those events in which the distance is equal to or greater than 800 meters. No timing allowance factor for qualifying shall be made for hand times. Hand times will be adjusted using USATF Rule 166-7 for the purposes of seeding.
4. Wind-assisted performances will not be accepted. The maximum allowable wind is 2.0 meters per second.
5. There will be no adjustment for marks made at altitude or on tracks of different sizes.
6. An athlete must be U.S. citizen and eligible to represent the United States in international competition, as well as being a U.S. citizen on the date of Declaration for the 2026 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships in that event.

Eligibility Information

In addition to correctly entering the meet and having equaled or bettered the qualifying standard(s) during the stated qualifying periods, the following criteria must also be met:

• Only citizens of the United States who are eligible to represent the United States in all levels of international competition under USATF and WA Rules, and who have met the published entry standards as stated elsewhere in this document are eligible to compete in these Championships.
• Athletes who have questions concerning their citizenship, including dual citizens, should contact General Corporate Counsel, Sarah Austin
• Date of Birth (DOB) and/or Citizenship Verification
• Athletes must be at least 14 years old on the day of competition but not turn 20 years old at any time in 2026.

However, athletes will not be permitted to compete unless they have:

1. A 2026 USATF membership
2. Completed the entry process
3. Met the entry standard by the qualifying window noted for the event
4. Completed the declaration process

• If requested, proof of qualifying performance must be submitted to USATF no later than Monday, June 15, 2026. Submissions received after this date will not be accepted. Please contact stats@usatf.org for verification procedures
• All athletes must be 2026 members of USATF in good standing. USATF memberships may be purchased online.
• Athletes must be bona fide members of a 2026 USATF club in order to represent a club. An athlete’s current club affiliation can be viewed in his/her membership profile and as part of the online entry process. Athletes wanting to update their affiliation should follow the affiliation update instructions or contact membership@usatf.org. All club affiliations must be finalized by close of declarations on Monday, June 15, 2026. No club changes will be accepted after this date for the 2026 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships.
• In addition to a club affiliation, athletes are able to represent one corporate sponsor. This corporate sponsor must be a registered USATF Corporate Member and be part of the athlete's membership profile. Corporate Membership applications can be obtained by sending an email to blake.warfield@usatf.org. All sponsor affiliations must be finalized by close of declarations. No sponsor changes will be accepted after this date for the U20 Outdoor Championships.

Qualifying Standards

Events in bold will be contested at the Championships. Events listed directly below those being contested may be used as alternates for qualifying. See Qualifying Guidelines below for full details.

USATF Sport Committees may accept a non-qualified mark to fill the field only if there is an insufficient number of athletes entered who have met the qualifying standard for that event. In this case, the sport committee may accept entered and declared athletes (who have not met the qualifying standard), up to a maximum of the maximum field sizes indicated.

 

Event	Automatic (Men)	Automatic (Women)	Field Size - Rounds
100*	10.50	11.65	18-2
200*	21.25	23.60	18-2
400*	47.40	54.00	18-2
800**	1:51.60	2:09.00	18-2
1500**	3:47.50	4:20.00	16-1
1600	4:04.00	4:38.50
(Mile)	4:05.50	4:40.00
3000**	8:11.00	9:30.00	16-1
3200	8:49.00	10:12.00
5000**	14:20.00	17:05.00	16-1
3000	8:22.00	9:50.00
3200	9:00.00	10:35.00
5,000m Race Walk**	26:00:00	28:30:00	12-1
(10,000m Race Walk)	55:15:00	59:45:00
110H (39")*	14.05	———	18-2
(110H – 42")	14.20	———
100H (33")*	———	13.70
(100H – 30")	———	13.30
400H*	53.00	60.50	18-2
(300H)	37.50	42.00
3000SC**	9:20.00	11:05.00	16-1
(2000SC)	6:00.00	7:10.00
3000	8:22.00	9:50.00
3200	9:00.00	10:35.00
5000	14:20.00	17:05.00
High Jump	2.12 (6-11.5)	1.78 (5-10)	16-1
Pole Vault	5.12 (16-9.5)	4.15 (13-7.25)	16-1
Long Jump	7.40 (24-3.5)	6.15 (20-2.25)	16-1
Triple Jump	15.10 (49-6.5)	12.60 (41-4.25)	16-1
Shot Put	18.30 (60-0.5) (6kg)	14.50 (47-7)	16-1
(SP - 12 lb.)	19.00 (62-4)	———
(SP - 16 lb.)	16.95 (55-7.5)	———
Discus	56.00 (183-9) (1.75kg)	50.00 (164-0)	16-1
1.6 kg	62.00 (203-5)	———
2.0 kg	52.75 (173-0)	———
Hammer	61.00 (200-1) (6kg)	53.00 (173-11)	16-1
12 lb.	64.25 (210-9)	———
16 lb.	58.00 (190-3)	———
Javelin	60.00 (196-10)	46.50 (152-7)	16-1
Heptathlon	———	4950	16
(Pentathlon)	———	3900
Decathlon	6700 (U20 Intl.)	———	16
	6750 (High School)	———
	6300 (Open/ College)	———

*F.A.T. is the only method of timing acceptable for qualifying marks for events listed with an asterisk. Times submitted in hundredths of a second, must be fully automatic times.
**A manual time may be used for qualifying in events with a double asterisk only if no fully automatic qualifying time exists for the individual in that event during the qualifying period. A manual time may not supersede any fully automatic qualifying time for an event. Qualifying manual times, for eligible events, not already listed, are always the FAT qualifying time without the last zero. Manual times will be converted for seeding purposes using USATF Rule 166.7.

The Sport Committee Chair will adjust the standards, where necessary, forty-five days prior to the competition, based on received entries at that time.  Therefore, early submission of an entry close to the standard is advised.

Additional competitors, from those who have submitted entries, may be allowed to declare through petition to the Sport Committee Chair.

CRITERIA FOR A LEGAL MEET

Criteria for a Meet/Event to be acceptable for qualifying for 2026 USATF U20 Championships:

In order for a mark from a meet or single event to be accepted for qualifying for the USATF U20 Championships, the following criteria apply:

Entry & Declaration Process

1. The meet/event must appear on an organization’s previously published calendar of events.
2. Meets which are not on an organization’s previously published calendar of events, must be reported to highperformance@usatf.org no later than May 1, 2026.
   1. Note: Doing so will permit the USATF staff member designated by the Sports Committee Chairs, to review the proposed meet/event. If the meet/event were then approved, this would give sufficient time for meet information to be disseminated to as wide a range of interested athletes as possible.
   2. Note: Failure to adhere to this protocol will likely result in the performance(s) being disallowed for qualifying for these Championships.
3. The meet/event must be sanctioned in advance by USATF or the Governing Body of another nation.  While they might not be sanctioned by USATF, high level collegiate and high school meets, such as a high school or college invitationals, championships, relay carnivals, etc., will be recognized as valid meets for qualifying provided all other criteria are met.
4. The meet/event must be held on a legal facility as per USATF and/or World Athletics rules.
5. USATF certified or recognized officials must officiate at the meet/event.
6. In the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles, only marks made using FAT (full automatic timing to the hundredth of a second [.01]) will be accepted for QUALIFYING PURPOSES.  The provisions of USATF Rule 165 shall apply for video tape timing.
7. In the short sprints (100m & 200m), short hurdles (100m & 110m), horizontal jumps (long jump & triple jump), a wind gauge must be used and reported.  A mark made with a wind reading exceeding 2.0 meters per second or higher will not be acceptable for qualifying.
8. In throwing events, all implements must be officially measured and certified according to USATF and/or World Athletics rules.
9. Mixed competitions for events inside the stadium are generally not acceptable.  However, in field events and races of 5000m or longer, mixed competition may be approved by the respective Sport Committee - this approval being needed in advance of the event.
10. Trials-finals, qualifying-finals, rounds in running events, etc. must be run according to USATF and/or World Athletics rules & regulations.  Duplicate events on the same day, unless following the World/Olympic same day qualifying & finals format, will not be acceptable for qualifying purposes.
11. Meet results for each jumping and throwing event, including field event recording sheet(s) and throwing implement verification sheets, may be requested and sent/faxed (317-261-0514) to the USATF National Office, attn:  Ed Gorman.
12. Meet results should always be faxed or e-mailed to: USATF Stats and Ed Gorman.
13. Step by step video instructions on the declaration process can be found here.

Once properly entered, all athletes must complete the declaration process. In this process, you will: Each athlete or his/her representative must declare whether that athlete will or will not compete in each event they have entered.

Declaration Appeals Process

• No late declarations will be accepted. However, an appeals process will be available for those athletes who wish to declare after the close of declarations for their event.
• Appeals for late declaration will be accepted from June 15th at 5:01 p.m. EDT until June 16th at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
• Appeals may be filed by emailing highperformance@usatf.org. However, please note that submission of an appeal does not guarantee acceptance. Results of appeals will show on the Public Entries page. No other notice will be given.

Steps to Declare for the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships

• Login to your USATF Connect profile.
• Along the left-hand side, find and click on the Events module.
• Find your entry for the USATF U20 Outdoor Championships and click View.
• Click Athletes next to Event Overview
• On the far right of your entry, you will see three dots. Click these three dots and select Edit Declaration Status.
• On this screen, select Declared or Scratched for each of your events. Once you’ve selected your status, click the OK button to save.
• Your status will appear on the Status of Entries page.
• If you want to update a qualifying mark, please email stats@usatf.org.

Entry & Declaration Status

Entry Status Categories

• Open - entry received but not yet in the verification process (all entries start in this category)
• Qualified - mark has been verified and accepted for entry into the championships. Rule 8 entries show this status regardless of mark submitted.
• Not qualified - mark does not meet automatic standard but does meet minimum standard and will be considered when fields are filled
• Accepted – entry has been added to the field by the Sport Committee Chair. The Sport Committee Chair will accept a non-qualified mark to fill the field only if there is an insufficient number of athletes entered and declared who have met the qualifying standard for that event. In this case, the committee will go down the list of entered and declared athletes (that have not met the qualifying standard) only as deep as is needed to fill the field
• Info needed - entry requires additional information or required documents (e.g., DOB verification, citizenship, name of meet director) are missing
• Not accepted - entry not accepted; either mark does not meet minimum standard; was achieved outside the qualifying window; or at a meet not USATF sanctioned or not on World Athletics Calendar.

*Note: USATF Rule 11.3(b) concerning adding athletes to make a competitive field, and USATF Rule 8 concerning automatic qualifications, will be used.

Declaration Status Categories

*Note: All entrants should declare during the declaration period. This helps the seeding committee make decisions on "Accepting" marks that do not meet the qualifying standard for the purpose of filling the field for each event.

• Unsubmitted - declaration not yet made (all entries start in this category)
• Declared - athlete has declared his/her intent to compete and is in the field
• Not Accepted – declaration not accepted; status will change to Declared if an entry has been added to the field by the Sport Committee Chair
• Scratched - athlete has declared his/her intent to not compete in the events(s) entered

Steps to Update Affiliations

AFFILIATION UPDATES MAY BE MADE UP UNTIL CLOSE OF ENTRIES: 6/14/26 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
REVIEW

Before completing your registration/entry, review your affiliations (club, university, military, corporate sponsor) for accuracy by logging into your USATF Connect profile/membership. (You will use your email address and password associated with your USATF membership account.)

UPDATE

Should you need to update an affiliation prior to registering for the event, please follow these instructions:

• Club Affiliation: Log into USATF Connect, click on 'View profile' or the name of the member under 'My Members', click on the 'Memberships' tab, click the three dots on the far right , click 'Transfer', click 'Start Transfer'. You will then add the name of the club. Select that it is not a temporary move and submit the request. 
• University and Military Affiliation Updates: Log into USATF Connect, click on 'View profile' or the name of the member under 'My Members', click on the 'Memberships' tab, then click on the ‘Individual Membership’.  Scroll to the ‘Additional Affiliations’ page and select the University or Military affiliation you need.  Then scroll to the end of the application and click ‘Save.’    
• Corporate Sponsor Affiliation Updates: These requests must be submitted in writing. Please send an email to blake.warfield@usatf.org.

Making Updates to Registration

• If you need to update your affiliation after your registration has been completed, please refer to the confirmation email that was sent to the email address on file under the athlete's USATF Connect profile. This email will contain the password to log back into the entry/registration to update (affiliations, credentials, marks). The password is located under the heading "Managing Your Registration" on the registration page. This email confirmation with password is only sent to the email address that’s on file under the athlete's USATF Connect profile. Even though the entry system gives you the option to send a receipt/confirmation to an alternate email address, the password will only be sent to the email address on file under the athlete's USATF Connect profile.

Please note: the password that is tied to an athlete’s USATF Membership Connect Profile will not work to complete an entry/registration or to log back in to update marks, affiliations, and credential information for an entry/registration. After the entry/registration is completed, the information is sent via the confirmation email.