The Indian athletics calendar for 2026 domestic season starts with the 60th National Cross-Country Championships in Ranchi on January 24
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) will host its first major domestic track and field competition in March, with the First National Indoor Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
A new 16-part regional series – the Indian Athletics Series – will be held from April to September with the aim of boosting grassroots participation. The series will be staged across multiple states nationwide.
Indian Athletics Calendar 2026 will have expanded number of events as Bhubaneswar will also host the inaugural edition of the National Indoor Athletics Championships at the Kalinga Stadium in March.
Another new indoor competition that is being introduced by the AFI is the First Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault Competition, which will also be held in Bhubaneswar in early May.
Meanwhile, the 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Championships will be staged in May. Indian athletes who have competed in at least two competitions will be eligible to participate in the meet.
The maiden World Athletics Continental Tour silver event in Bhubaneswar in August, an upgrade from the bronze level meet held at the same venue in 2025.
The addition of several new competitions has seen India’s 2026 athletics calendar expand from 32 to 40 events with a focus on maximising preparation and build-up ahead of the 2026 edition of the Asian Games, which starts in Japan from September 19.
The 65th National Open Athletics Championships – India’s third major national championships in 2026 – is scheduled from October 8 to 11 in New Delhi.
The Indian athletics calendar will conclude with the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships in Chennai on October 27.
Also Read: List Of World Records By Women Athletes In Athletics
Indian Athletics Calendar 2026
| Dates | Event | Venue |
| January 24 | 60th National Cross Country Championships | Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| TBD | NIDJAM (20th National Inter District Junior Athletics) Meet | TBD |
| February 21-22 | 13th Indian Open Race Walking Competition | Chandigarh |
| March 7-8 | Fifth Indian Open Throws Competition | Patiala, Punjab |
| March 14-15 | Fifth Indian Open Jumps Competition | Anju Bobby George Foundation, Bengaluru |
| March 24-25 | First National Indoor Athletics Championships | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| March 28 | Seventh Indian Open 400m meet | Trivandrum, Kerala |
| April 4 | Indian Athletics Series 1 | Bengaluru, Karnataka |
| April 5 | Indian Athletics Series 2 | Udaipur, Rajasthan |
| April 11 | Indian Athletics Series 3 | Sangrur, Punjab |
| April 12 | Indian Athletics Series 4 | Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| April 18 | Third National Open Relay Competition | Chandigarh |
| April 24-26 | 24th National Junior Athletics Federation Competition | Mangalore, Karnataka |
| May 2-3 | First Indian Indoor Open Combined Events and Pole Vault Competition | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| May 9 | Indian Athletics Series 5 | New Delhi |
| May 10 | Indian Athletics Series 6 | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| May 22-25 | 29th National Senior Athletics Federation Competition | Ranchi, Jharkhand |
| May 26-June 5 | State competitions | – |
| June 6 | Indian Athletics Series 7 | Guwahati, Assam |
| June 7 | Indian Athletics Series 8 | Pune, Maharashtra |
| June 13 | Indian Athletics Series 9 | Ludhiana, Punjab |
| June 14 | Indian Athletics Series 10 | Trivandrum, Kerala |
| June 20 | Indian Athletics Series 11 | Kolkata, West Bengal |
| June 21 | Indian Athletics Series 12 | Nadiad, Gujarat |
| June 21-30 | State competitions | – |
| July 8-12 | 65th National Inter State Senior Athletics Championships | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| August 7 | Fifth National Javelin Day Competition | All districts |
| August 14 | Indian Athletics Series 13 | Warangal, Telangana |
| August 16 | Indian Athletics Series 14 | Panchkula, Haryana |
| August 16-31 | Junior state competitions | – |
| August 22 | Indian Open World Athletics Continental Tour Silver Level | Bhubaneswar, Odisha |
| August 29 | Indian Athletics Series 15 | Shillong, Sikkim |
| September 1-3 | 21st National Youth Athletics Championships | Ludhiana, Punjab |
| September 5 | Indian Athletics Series 16 | Anju Bobby George Foundation, Bengaluru |
| September 12 | Indian Athletics Series Final-by invitation | New Delhi |
| September 14-24 | Board Meets | – |
| September 14-16 | North Zone Junior/South Zone Junior | Dehradun, Puducherry |
| September 22-24 | East Zone Junior/West Central Zone Junior | Shillong, Patna, Goa, Indore |
| October 8-11 | 65th National Open Athletics Championships | New Delhi |
| October 16-18 | Sixth Indian U23 Athletics Competition | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
| October 23-27 | 41st National Junior Athletics Championships | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
