Track and field’s biggest stars are headed to the heart of New York City to compete for record-breaking prizes. Get to know these seven competitors before they take NYC by storm. ⏩

100mh

@ackera.nugent

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Ackera Nugent is one of Jamaica’s most exciting young track stars – holding a national record in the 100m hurdles at just 23 years old. Raised in a single-parent house, she’s been fueled by the determination to make her mom proud, balancing studies and track to graduate from the University of Arkansas a communications major, three-time NCAA champion, and World U20 100mh champion. Despite facing setbacks, dealing with injuries at the Olympics, and having moments of doubt about her future in the sport, Nugent has learned to prioritize herself, grow outside of athletics, and stay grounded through focus and her faith.

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Nugent's talent and perseverance have earned recognition from the sport’s elite – most memorably when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone approached her at a Grand Slam event, telling her, “I’m so proud of you,” and bringing Nugent to tears. Coming off her Diamond League victory, Nugent will once again race the 100m hurdles at Athlos New York.

100m

@majotalou

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Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith is Africa’s sprint queen, known for her explosive starts, fearless racing, and a career defined by consistency and resilience. The 100m African record holder and three-time World Championships medallist has faced her share of near-misses, finishing fourth in three consecutive Olympic 100m finals – Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 – while battling chronic back pain and injuries. After a difficult Paris Games, she considered stepping away from the sport — but was inspired to continue by her teammate and close friend, Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Returning to the track with renewed focus, Ta Lou-Smith made her fifth 100m finals in six World Athletic Championships in Tokyo.

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“Every time that I fail, I feel like I let down the country, the continent, so many people who trust and believe in me,” said Ta Lou Smith. “But seeing all the comments, and all the people who still tell me that I'm an inspiration for them, gave me the strength to continue and not give up.”

200m

@a.myhunt

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Amy Hunt is coming into Athlos hot after winning a dramatic 200m silver at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo – her breakout moment on the global stage. It’s been six years since she stunned the world as a teenager, setting the women’s under-18 200m record in 22.42 seconds back in 2019. Since then, Hunt has weathered the isolation of the pandemic, the rigor of studying at the University of Cambridge, and a ruptured quadriceps. After graduating, she moved to Italy to train under a new coach, and her perseverance paid off – culminating in her world championship medal.

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Looking back, Hunt says, "I am so proud of myself for choosing the harder path. I could have chosen an easier way out many times. I chose to go to Cambridge to get a degree - in part for myself to look back on and be proud of, but also to show other young sports people, other young girls that you don't have to give up education. You can be an academic badass and a track goddess."

400m

@henriette.jeager

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Henriette Jæger is a rising star in European track and field. A former U18 world record holder, she became the Norwegian 400m record holder in 2023 and has continued to improve on the international stage. In 2024, Jæger reached the Olympic final, finishing eighth. This year, she set a Norwegian indoor record of 50.44 at the Copernicus Cup. Jæger went on to win silver at the European Athletics Indoor Championships and bronze at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. Back on home soil, she captured gold at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen with a championship record of 49.74 seconds.

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At only 22 years old, Jæger is fresh off of a strong seventh-place finish at the World Championships in Tokyo, coming to Athlos NYC ready to make her mark.

800m

@marymoraa800m

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Mary Moraa’s track career began with hopes of lifting her family out of poverty. Born in western Kenya, Moraa and her sisters worked odd jobs to help support themselves. Inspired by Kenyan athletes like Hellen Obiri, running became an escape. Moraa rose through the track world, making a semi-final appearance on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, winning her first global title in Budapest in 2023, and winning Olympic bronze at Paris 2024. The 2025 season, however, has been one of challenge and reflection for the Kenyan star. The defending world champion has earned four wins in a year marked by ups and downs, testing both her patience and confidence.

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Leaning on her friends, has been key this year. Moraa said, “I have had many friends who held my hand during the tough season. There’s Hellen Obiri, Beatrice Chepkoech, and Milcah Chemos. They have been talking to me like my mum and my sisters, and I am now okay.”

Mile

@jessicaahull

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Jessica Hull’s running journey began at just eight years old in Australia, after discovering a love for racing at her school cross-country carnival in second grade. Growing up, she ran and played soccer, before moving to the U.S. for college to compete for the University of Oregon. She has since become one of Australia’s premier middle-distance runners, holding the world record in the 2000m, winning 2024 Olympic silver in the 1500m, and claiming bronze in the 1500m at the 2025 World Championships.

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Coming off of the World Championships, Hull shared she was “really proud” of the bronze. “It’s been a funky year for me, a little bit less consistent than I normally am, and I’ve had to try some new things and some new racing styles in a way to level up as an athlete.”

Long Jump

@jasmineemoore

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Jasmine Moore has been turning heads on the global stage, competing in both the triple jump and long jump. At 23 years old, she made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, winning bronze in both events – the first American woman ever to medal in both at the same Games, and only the second woman in history to do so. A seven-time NCAA Division I champion, Moore’s athletic journey began in Dallas-Fort Worth, where gymnastics and competitive cheerleading first sparked her love of flying through the air, before settling on track and field. This summer at the World Championships in Tokyo, Moore earned her best finish to date, with a seventh-place in the triple jump.

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Moore said, “Doing this has proved to myself, ‘Oh, I can do this, so I don’t have to choose.’ If you want to do something, it is attainable – and you can always push yourself to achieve more than you imagined.” Now, she’s set to make more history, taking her jumping all the way to Times Square at Athlos NYC.