Asian Games 2026 Athletics Schedule: Full India Timetable, Key Events and Athletes to Watch

Athletics will be one of the biggest medal-producing disciplines for India at the Asian Games 2026, with the track and field programme set to run from September 23 to 29 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. 

India will enter the competition with a strong 77-member athletics squad featuring national and Asian record holders, established Asian Games medallists and several athletes arriving in Japan on the back of impressive performances this season.

The seven-day athletics programme begins with the women’s half marathon race walk on September 23 before the action expands across sprints, middle-distance running, jumps, throws, combined events and relays.

India’s campaign carries considerable interest after several athletes produced standout performances in the build-up to the Games. Animesh Kujur and Harita Bhadra have emerged as major names in the sprint events, while Avinash Sable has made a successful return from injury in the 3000m steeplechase. Long jumper Ancy Sojan, pole vaulter Dev Meena, shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor and hammer throwers Tanya Chaudhary and Anushka Yadav are among the other athletes who will attract attention.

The Athletics Federation of India has selected 34 men and 43 women for the Asian Games, covering a wide range of events. The squad includes athletes such as Gulveer Singh, who is entered in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m, Praveen Chithravel in the triple jump, Tejaswin Shankar in the decathlon and Jyothi Yarraji in the 100m hurdles. (Athletics Federation of India)

The men’s 100m will be one of the early events to watch, with Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur representing India. Both have already demonstrated their quality domestically, and the pair will be looking to make an impact against Asia’s leading sprinters. Kujur will also contest the 200m, where his recent rise has made him one of the most closely watched Indian athletes heading into the Games. On the women’s side, Harita Bhadra and Unnathi Bollanda will compete in the 200m.

The relays will add another layer to India’s sprint campaign, with athletes from the individual events expected to combine in the mixed and women’s 4x100m competitions.

Distance runners bring medal ambitions.

The middle- and long-distance events will feature several of India’s most experienced athletes. Avinash Sable will headline the men’s 3000m steeplechase after returning to competition following a lengthy injury layoff. The 2023 Asian Games champion has already shown encouraging signs of form with his victory at the Indian Athletics Series Final. His return gives India a major medal contender in an event where he has previously dominated at the continental level.

Parul Chaudhary will have a particularly demanding schedule, competing in the 1500m, 3000m steeplechase and 5000m. Gulveer Singh will also take on a demanding distance programme across the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m.

India's field-event contingent also enters the Asian Games with plenty of momentum. Ancy Sojan will be one of the names to watch in the women’s long jump. She arrives as the Indian national record holder after producing a 6.88m jump earlier this season. She won silver at the previous Asian Games and will now be looking to move one step higher on the podium.

The men’s long jump features M. Sreeshankar and Shahnavaz Khan, while Praveen Chithravel and Karthik Unnikrishnan will compete in the triple jump. In the throws, Tajinderpal Singh Toor will lead India’s shot put challenge alongside Karanveer Singh. The hammer throw events will feature Tanya Chaudhary and Anushka Yadav in the women’s competition and Damneet Singh and Praveen Kumar in the men’s event.

The javelin will see Rohit Yadav and Yash Vir Singh represent India, while the women’s event features Annu Rani.

The decathlon will feature Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad, with the demanding two-day event beginning on September 26. The athletes will compete across 10 events, making consistency over the full programme crucial. India also has strong representation in the hurdles. Jyothi Yarraji and Nandhini Kongan will compete in the women’s 100m hurdles, while Anu Raghavan and Vithya Ramraj are entered in the women’s 400m hurdles. Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan will contest the men’s 400m hurdles.

The schedule builds towards a packed final stretch, with several medal events taking place between September 27 and 29. For Indian fans, the Asian Games 2026 athletics schedule offers seven days of almost continuous action, with major medal contenders spread across the morning and evening sessions. The programme will also provide an opportunity for India's emerging athletes to test themselves against the best in Asia.

With the Indian team featuring a combination of established champions, national record holders and rising stars, athletics is expected to remain one of India's key sports at Aichi-Nagoya.

Asian Games 2026 Athletics: Daily Schedule

September 23

4 a.m. onwards — Women’s Half Marathon Race Walk Final — Priyanka, Manju Rani

September 24

6:30 a.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon 100m Hurdles Heats — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

6:50 a.m. onwards — Mixed 4x400m Relay Round 1 Heats — Jay Kumar, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, Rashdeep Kaur, Ansa Babu

7 a.m. onwards — Men’s Triple Jump Qualification — Praveen Chithravel, Karthik Unnikrishnan

7:10 a.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon High Jump — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

3:35 p.m. onwards — Men’s High Jump Qualification — Aadarsh Ram, Sarvesh Kushare

3:43 p.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

4:14 p.m. onwards — Women’s Triple Jump Final — Niharika Vashisht, Asha Ilango

4:38 p.m. onwards — Men’s 100m Round 1 Heats — Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur

5:30 p.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon 200m Heats — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

5:55 p.m. onwards — Women’s 10,000m Final — Seema

6:45 p.m. onwards — Mixed 4x400m Relay Final

September 25

6:30 a.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon Long Jump — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

7 a.m. onwards — Men’s 400m Round 1 Heats — Rajesh Ramesh, Vishal TK

7:55 a.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon Javelin Throw — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

3:35 p.m. onwards — Women’s Shot Put Final — Manpreet Kaur, Krishna Jayasankar Menon

4:03 p.m. onwards — Men’s 100m Semifinals

4:33 p.m. onwards — Women’s Pole Vault Final — Baranica Elangovan, Sindhushree Ganesha

4:41 p.m. onwards — Women’s Heptathlon 800m Heats — Pooja, Anamika Kozhinjaparambil Aneesh

5:02 p.m. onwards — Men’s 10,000m Final — Gulveer Singh

5:10 p.m. onwards — Men’s Hammer Throw Final — Damneet Singh, Praveen Kumar

5:45 p.m. onwards — Women’s 400m Round 1 Heats — Prachi, Kiran Pahal

6:13 p.m. onwards — Men’s 400m Round 1 Semifinals — Rajesh Ramesh, Vishal TK

6:45 p.m. onwards — Men’s 100m Final

September 26

4 a.m. onwards — Men’s Marathon Final — Sawan Barwal, Kartik Karkera

5:35 a.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon 100m Heats — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

6:15 a.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon Long Jump — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

7:30 a.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon Shot Put — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

7:35 a.m. onwards — Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification — Rohit Yadav, Yash Vir Singh

8 a.m. onwards — Women’s 200m Round 1 Heats — Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland, Harita Bhadra

8:45 a.m. onwards — Men’s 200m Round 1 Heats — Animesh Kujur

8:50 a.m. onwards — Women’s Long Jump Qualification — Shaili Singh, Ancy Sojan

2:35 p.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon High Jump — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

4:04 p.m. onwards — Women’s 100m Hurdles Round 1 Heats — Jyothi Yarraji, Nandhini Kongan

4:25 p.m. onwards — Women’s 200m Semifinals

4:30 p.m. onwards — Men’s Shot Put Final — Karanveer Singh, Tajinderpal Singh Toor

4:46 p.m. onwards — Men’s 200m Semifinals

5:05 p.m. onwards — Men’s Triple Jump Final

5:21 p.m. onwards — Men’s 1500m Round 1 Heats — Yoonus Shah, Gulveer Singh

5:50 p.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon 400m — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

6:15 p.m. onwards — Women’s 400m Final

6:33 p.m. onwards — Men’s 400m Final

6:45 p.m. onwards — Women’s 1500m Final

September 27

3:35 p.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon Javelin Throw — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

3:40 p.m. onwards — Women’s Long Jump Final

4:05 p.m. onwards — Women’s 200m Final

4:15 p.m. onwards — Men’s 200m Final

4:45 p.m. onwards — Men’s High Jump Final

4:53 p.m. onwards — Women’s 100m Hurdles Final

5:06 p.m. onwards — Men’s 800m Round 1 Heats — Krishan Kumar, Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath

5:33 p.m. onwards — Women’s Javelin Throw Final — Annu Rani

5:40 p.m. onwards — Men’s Decathlon 1500m — Tejaswin Shankar, Thowfeeq Noushad

5:52 p.m. onwards — Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final — Ankita, Parul Chaudhary

6:15 p.m. onwards — Women’s 4x100m Relay Round 1 Heats — Tamanna, Nithya Gandhe, Srabani Nanda, Abinaya Rajarajan

September 28

2:45 p.m. onwards — Women’s Discus Throw Final — Seema, Sanya Yadav

3:20 p.m. onwards — Mixed 4x100m Relay Round 1 Heats — Animesh Kujur, Pranav Gurav, Tamanna, Sneha Sathyanarayana

3:53 p.m. onwards — Women’s 400m Hurdles Final — Anu Raghavan, Vithya Ramraj

4:03 p.m. onwards — Men’s 400m Hurdles Final — Yashas Palaksha, Santhosh Kumar Tamilarasan

4:12 p.m. onwards — Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final — Avinash Sable

4:25 p.m. onwards — Men’s Long Jump Final — M. Sreeshankar, Shahnavaz Khan

4:35 p.m. onwards — Men’s 1500m Final

4:50 p.m. onwards — Women’s 800m Round 1 Heats — Pooja, Gowthami Jayaraman

4:55 p.m. onwards — Men’s Javelin Throw Final

5:13 p.m. onwards — Women’s 5000m Final — Seema, Parul Chaudhary

5:50 p.m. onwards — Men’s 4x400m Relay Round 1 Heats — Mohammed Ashfaq, Dharmveer Choudhary, Jay Kumar, Rajesh Ramesh, Manu Thekkinalil Saji, Vishal TK

6:34 p.m. onwards — Women’s 4x100m Relay Final

September 29

2:45 p.m. onwards — Men’s Pole Vault Final — Kuldeep Kumar, Dev Meena

3:48 p.m. onwards — Women’s High Jump Final — Pooja, Supriya Sindigere Basavaraju

4:05 p.m. onwards — Women’s Hammer Throw Final — Tanya Chaudhary, Anushka Yadav

4:20 p.m. onwards — Women’s 800m Final

4:35 p.m. onwards — Men’s 800m Final

4:45 p.m. onwards — Men’s 5000m Final — Gulveer Singh

5:18 p.m. onwards — Mixed 4x100m Relay Final

5:35 p.m. onwards — Women’s 4x400m Relay Final — Rashdeep Kaur, Ansa Babu, Kumari Saloni Nagar, Neeru Pathak

5:47 p.m. onwards — Men’s 4x400m Relay Final