World Athletics Raises LA 2028 Entry Standards

Athletes chasing qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will face much tougher LA 2028 entry standards than for the Paris Games. World Athletics announced on Tuesday that it had tightened the benchmarks across track events while increasing reliance on world rankings.

The global governing body said around 40 per cent of athletes would qualify through entry standards and 60 per cent through world rankings, compared with a 50-50 split at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The shift means that hitting the qualifying mark will matter less than before, and an athlete’s position in the rankings will matter more.

The qualification system covers 23 men’s events, 23 women’s events and two mixed relays. The 4x100m mixed relay will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, alongside the 4x400m mixed relay.

LA 2028 entry standards: the toughest cuts

The sharpest increases came in the endurance events, where athletes will need to run substantially faster than the marks required for Paris. World Athletics lowered the men’s marathon standard from 2:08:10 to 2:05:00, more than three minutes quicker than the Paris benchmark. The women’s marathon requirement was tightened from 2:26:50 to 2:22:20.

The middle-distance marks moved too. In the men’s 5,000 metres, the standard was cut from 13:05 to 12:50, while the women’s equivalent fell from 14:52 to 14:34. The men’s 1,500 metres standard dropped from 3:33.50 to 3:30.00, and the women’s from 4:02.50 to 3:57.50.

Sprint events have also become more demanding. The men’s 100 metres standard dropped from 10.00 seconds to 9.93, while the women’s mark was cut from 11.07 to 10.96. Every hundredth of a second now carries more weight, and athletes who were comfortably inside the Paris marks may find themselves outside the Los Angeles ones.

The changes reflect how fast the sport has become. Times that once marked out the world’s best are now routine at the top level, and the governing body has moved the bar to keep the Olympic fields at the size it wants.

Hitting the mark no longer guarantees a place

World Athletics said meeting the entry standard alone would not automatically secure an Olympic berth. If more athletes achieve the standard than there are quota places in an event, spots will be awarded to those with the best performances during the qualification period. In that case, the governing body added, no athletes will qualify through world rankings.

For marathon runners, the qualification period will run from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028. The window opens on December 19, 2026, for the 10,000 metres, combined events, race walks and relays. All other events will have a qualification period from June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028.

What it means for Pakistan’s athletes

The tougher standards apply to every country, including Pakistan. Pakistani athletes who dream of Los Angeles will now need to run faster than ever, and the rankings route gives them a second path if they can race consistently on the international circuit.

Pakistan has a small but active athletics scene. Feature Pakistan reported that the Wapda national athletics championship produced a record from Maria Bibi, and that Wapda took 41 medals at the national championships. The country also sent a youth Olympics contingent to Dakar in October.

Marathon running has grown in profile in Pakistan too, with city races drawing larger fields each year. The new marathon marks are far beyond current Pakistani times, but the rankings route rewards athletes who compete regularly, and that is a path Pakistani runners can work towards.

The athletics competition at Los Angeles 2028 will be held from July 15 to 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It is one of the most storied venues in Olympic history, having hosted the Games in 1932 and 1984.

How qualification will work

The system has two doors. About 40 per cent of places will go to athletes who hit the entry standard, and about 60 per cent will go through world rankings. Athletes who hit the standard early will still need to watch the rankings, because if too many hit the mark, only the fastest will take the standard places.

The New York City Marathon showed this month how deep the world’s marathon fields have become. That depth is the reason World Athletics has raised the bar, and it is also the reason the bar will keep rising.

What happens next

Athletes can start chasing the marathon standard now, with the window open since November 1, 2026. For track events, the window opens in June 2027. National federations will set their selection policies in the coming months, and the first athletes to hit the new marks will begin to appear on the rankings from early next year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the new LA 2028 entry standards?

World Athletics has tightened the marks across track events. The men’s marathon standard is now 2:05:00, down from 2:08:10, and the women’s is 2:22:20, down from 2:26:50. The men’s 100m mark is 9.93 seconds and the women’s is 10.96.

How will athletes qualify for LA 2028?

Around 40 per cent will qualify through entry standards and 60 per cent through world rankings, compared with a 50-50 split at Paris 2024. There are 23 men’s events, 23 women’s events and two mixed relays.

Does hitting the standard guarantee a place?

No. If more athletes hit the standard than there are quota places, spots go to those with the best performances during the qualification period. In that case, no athletes qualify through world rankings.

When is the qualification period?

For marathon runners, it runs from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028. For the 10,000m, combined events, race walks and relays, it opens on December 19, 2026. All other events run from June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028.

When and where is the athletics competition?

The athletics competition at Los Angeles 2028 will be held from July 15 to 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.