The Track & Field Championships for high schoolers have meets sponsored by several brands, both indoors and outdoors. The newest championships are the Under Armour Outdoor Nationals, which will be held at IMG Academy, May 29-31, 2026.
RunBlogRun reached out to IMG, and Aleeya Clemons, Senior Communications Manager for IMG, put us in touch with IMG’s Assistant Technical Director, TJ Lawson, a former NCAA Div. 1 athlete who is working directly with UA on their championships.
1. Under Armour is launching its UA Outdoor Nationals in conjunction with IMG. Tell us about your meeting.
The inaugural Under Armour Track & Field Nationals will take place May 29–31, 2026 at IMG Academy in partnership with Under Armour. This is designed to be a true national championship environment focused on elite competition, athlete experience, and performance.
The meet will bring together many of the top high school and middle school athletes from across the United States and internationally. We are building the event around quality fields, intentional scheduling, and a championship atmosphere rather than simply trying to create the largest meet possible.
Athletes will compete on IMG Academy’s brand-new Rekortan G13 track surface with elite-level field event venues, a dedicated warm-up area, integrated Wavelight pacing technology, and a newly constructed throws complex. We want this meet to feel professional from the moment athletes arrive on campus.
2. What will make the UA event different than Nike and New Balance?
What makes this event different is the overall environment and philosophy behind it.
We are not trying to replicate another national meet. The goal is to create a performance-first championship in which every operational detail is designed to help athletes compete at their highest level. That includes smaller and more intentional field sizes, schedule management, warm-up access, pacing technology, and facility layout decisions that prioritize performance.
Another difference is the venue itself. IMG Academy operates as a year-round elite sports campus, so athletes are competing in a true high-performance training environment.
We are also blending high school championship competition with elevated presentation elements, including professional races, enhanced athlete experiences, brand activations from partners like Under Armour and Gill Athletics, and a major focus on storytelling and athlete recognition.
The goal is for athletes to leave feeling as if they competed on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
3. Tell us about IMG Academy and its dedication to track & field?
IMG Academy has made a major investment in track & field over the last several years. That includes new facilities, expanded coaching resources, and the creation of a true destination for elite athletes.
The campus now features a brand-new Rekortan surface, permanent Wavelight pacing technology, expanded jumps venues, multiple pole vault pits, and a completely new throws complex with a Rekortan javelin runway and championship-level Gill cages and equipment.
Beyond facilities, IMG Academy is committed to developing athletes holistically through coaching, strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition, academics, and sports science support.
Track & field is growing rapidly at IMG Academy, and this national championship is another major step in showing the sport the level of commitment being made here.
4. Do athletes live full-time at IMG Academy?
Many student-athletes at IMG Academy live on campus full-time as boarding students while training and attending school. IMG Academy combines academics, athletics, strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition, and mental performance into one integrated environment. Athletes can train year-round while also receiving a full educational experience.
Beyond the boarding school program, we also offer year-round camps and a variety of online products and services so student-athletes can continue developing wherever they are. That includes IMG Academy+ for 1-on-1 and group coaching in areas like mental performance and nutrition, IMG Academy Essentials with on-demand courses and training videos, and NCSA College Recruiting services to help connect student-athletes with college opportunities.
5. Does IMG have track and field athletes from around the world training at IMG Academy?
Absolutely. IMG Academy attracts athletes from across the United States and around the world.
Our track & field program includes athletes from multiple countries competing in sprints, distance, jumps, throws, hurdles, and combined events. That international presence creates a very unique training environment where athletes are exposed to different coaching styles, cultures, and levels of competition on a daily basis.
6. What races are you excited about for the UA Outdoor Nationals?
There are several events we are extremely excited about.
The Saturday night 800-meter showcase is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the entire meet. We will have elite high school races alongside professional men’s and women’s 800-meter races featuring internationally accomplished athletes racing for prize money under the lights.
On the high school side, we are excited about athletes like Joshua Cooper, who currently owns one of the top 800m times in the country, along with sprint stars like Blake Hamilton, who has already clocked a wind-aided 19.90 in the 200m this season. We are also excited to welcome the Doggett sisters, including Melanie Doggett, one of the top sprint names in the country right now.
Another athlete fans should keep an eye on is Camryn Dailey, who is widely regarded as the top youth female sprinter in the world. Her performances this year have been incredible, and having that level of young talent competing at the meet speaks volumes about the caliber of athletes coming to Bradenton.
The hurdle events are also loaded with talent, and we expect some incredibly competitive sprint races across the board. In the field events, the boys’ pole vault and throws competitions could be among the best assembled fields in the country this year.
7. Do athletes register for the event, or is IMG selecting the fields?
Athletes register through Athletic.net, but entry into the meet is performance-based.
We use a standards system with automatic qualifying marks and minimum standards. Athletes who meet the automatic standard are guaranteed entry once they are verified and accepted. Athletes between the minimum and automatic standards can still enter and potentially be accepted through our descending-order process as we build the fields.
That approach allows us to maintain competitive and appropriately sized championship fields while still giving developing athletes an opportunity to earn their way into the meet.
8. Where should coaches and athletes go to learn more information?
All meet information, including registration details, standards, schedules, facility information, and updates can be found here:
Coaches, athletes, and fans should also stay tuned to IMG Academy Track & Field/XC Instagram, Under Armour Running, and RunnerSpace for athlete announcements, backpack reveals, event coverage, and more.
