Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26 is set to welcome the world’s fastest sprinters to Botswana on 2–3 May 2026.
Spots for the Ultimate Championships and Beijing 27 Worlds
The event will bring together elite relay teams from across the globe, all vying for qualification spots at both the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest and the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27. The competition promises electrifying action as national squads race for glory and a chance to secure their place among the world’s best.
In addition to an impressive prize money pool, Gaborone 26 serves as the primary qualification event for national relay teams aiming to compete at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest this September and the highly anticipated World Athletics Championships in Beijing in 2027. Teams will need to deliver peak performances to secure their coveted places at these major global events.
The top six teams in each of the mixed 4x100m and the mixed 4x400m in Gaborone will automatically qualify for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September.
Twelve teams in each of the six events will automatically qualify for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27.
The event programme will feature the following relay events
Women’s 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay
Men’s 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay
Mixed 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay
Each country may enter up to six athletes per relay event, allowing for strategic substitutions between rounds. Any four of these athletes can compete in each race, providing teams with tactical flexibility and the opportunity to optimise their line-ups for each stage of the competition.
Here is the prize money structure for the Gaborone 26
The top eight teams in each event will be awarded the following prize money:
1st: US$40,000
2nd: US$20,000
3rd: US$10,000
4th: US$8000
5th: US$6000
6th: US$4000
7th: US$3000
8th: US$2000