World Athletics knows money is an expensive motivator, therefore they lean on qualification. At this year\u2019s World Relays, countries can qualify teams for the 2027 World Championships by finishing in the top 12. This is a great solution for 99% of the nations of the world, but for better or worse, the United States simply doesn\u2019t need to venture down this path in an event like the men\u2019s 4 x 400m.<\/p>\n
Against the recommendation of distance runners everywhere, World Athletics decided to eliminate the 4 x 800m, DMR, and 4 x 1500m (…that one\u2019s okay to cut, actually\u2026) to instead lean into the mixed-gender relays. Those squads will have the chance to qualify for the World Ultimate Championships in Gaborone, too, but with unmatched depth, the US can afford to send a B or even C team\u2014which is exactly what Team USA is doing.<\/p>\n
The U.S. opting out of most races at World Relays doesn\u2019t seem like something that will change, short of the event itself changing significantly.<\/p>\n
World Athletics could alleviate top U.S. athletes\u2019 concerns about excessive travel by exclusively holding the meet in North America\u2014which runs counter to the organization\u2019s mission of hosting more high-quality meets in emerging markets and across every populated continent.<\/p>\n
World Athletics could force Team USA\u2019s hand and make participation in World Relays a requisite to field relay squads at major global competition\u2014again, that doesn\u2019t feel particularly egalitarian, given the resources required to attend the meet, which many smaller federations lack.<\/p>\n
Or World Athletics could make the juice worth the squeeze for the Rai Benjamins of the world by drastically increasing the financial incentive\u2014while money talks, we\u2019d imagine WA\u2019s accountant can too, and they\u2019d say \u201cno way, man, we cannot afford that.\u201d<\/p>\n
It just goes to show how difficult growing the sport can be, when there are conflicting interests who\u2014acting perfectly rationally\u2014will rarely align on priorities. It\u2019s not as simple as toggling a giant lever in the direction of \u201cMAKE TRACK BETTER!\u201d<\/p>\n
All that said, it\u2019s easy to empathize with Botswana\u2019s frustration. They won\u2019t be able to face off against their rivals on home soil in front of what will presumably be an incredible crowd. At the same time, where were Letsile Tebogo, Bayapo Ndori, and Busang Collen Kebinatshipi during the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou? They were in China the week before racing in the Diamond League, but chose not to compete\u2026 because of money!<\/a><\/p>\n Keep up with all things track and field by following us across Instagram<\/a>, X<\/a>, Threads<\/a>, and YouTube<\/a>. Catch the latest episodes of the CITIUS MAG Podcast on Spotify<\/a> and Apple Podcasts<\/a>. For more, subscribe to The Lap Count<\/a> and CITIUS MAG Newsletter<\/a> for the top running news delivered straight to your inbox.<\/p>\n