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≡ LOTS OF U.S. ACTION ≡
Perhaps the most impactful event this week is not on the track or in the pool, but the selection of the host for the Pan American Games in 2031.
The choices are Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and nearby city Nitroi, and Paraguay’s Asuncion.
Both candidates have large-event experience, as Rio hosted the 2007 Pan Ams and 2016 Olympic Games, and Asuncion successfully held the Junior Pan American Games this past summer and has made a major push to use sports as a lever to raise its profile. This will be the fourth consecutive Pan Ams to be held in South America.
The decision comes on Friday, 10 October at 10:00 a.m. in Santiago (CHI) during the Panam Sports Extraordinary General Assembly, which will be shown on the Panam Sports site.
Then there are the competitions:
● Athletics: Athlos NYC ● This women-only program returns to New York, expanded by a day to introduce the long jump in Times Square on Thursday, headlined by World Champion Tara Davis-Woodhall, plus World Indoor winner Claire Bryant, Paris Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore, three-time U.S champ Quanesha Burks and others.
The main meet is at Icahn Stadium on Friday (10th), with a six-event program in the women’s 100-200-400-800 m, mile and 100 m hurdles. The best event is the mile, with 1,500 m World Champion Faith Kipyegon (KEN) hunting her own world record of 4:07.64, challenged by Olympic silver winner and Worlds bronze winner Jess Hull (AUS) plus World Indoor 1,500 m winner Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), American champ Nikki Hiltz and more.
The 800 m has Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR), Worlds silver winner Georgia Hunter-Bell (GBR), 2023 World Champion Mary Moraa (KEN) and 2019 World Champion Halimah Nakaayi (UGA), and others.
The 400 m is next best, with Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM), Worlds bronzer Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), Americans Alexis Holmes, the World Indoor runner-up, and Lynna Irby-Jackson. The 200 has Worlds runner-up Amy Hunt, Olympic bronze winner Brittany Brown of the U.S. and Worlds finalists Anavia Battle and McKenzie Long.
The 100 has Americans Kayla White and Jacious Sears and Worlds finalist Marie-Josee Ta Lou Smith (CIV), and the 100 m hurdles features Olympic champ Masai Russell, Worlds bronze winner Grace Stark of the U.S., sixth-placer Devynne Charlton (BAH) and U.S. stars Alaysha Johnson and Tonea Marshall.
The Friday meet is slated to be shown on ION Television starting at 7 p.m. Eastern, also on ESPN+ and on the Athlos social channels.
● Athletics: Chicago Marathon ● The annual Chicago Marathon, with its fast, flat (and record-eligible) course, is back on Sunday (12th), for its 47th edition, with a strong professional field (listed by lifetime best):
Men:
● 2:02:44 (2024) John Korir (KEN) ~ defending champion
● 2:02:55 (2024) Tim Kiplagat (KEN) ~ 2024 Tokyo runner-up
● 2:03:13 (2023) Amos Kipruto (KEN) ~ 2022 London winner
● 2:03:22 (2024) Cybrian Kotut (KEN) ~ 2024 Berlin runner-up
● 2:03:36 (2021) Bashir Abdi (BEL) ~ Paris Olympic silver, Tokyo bronze
● 2:03:37 (2025) Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) ~ London second in debut
● 2:04:01 (2025) Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) ~ Hamburg 2025 second
● 2:04:23 (2023) Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) ~ 2017 & 2019 New York champ
● 2:04:39 (2024) Mohamed Esa (ETH) ~ 2024 Chicago runner-up
● 2:05:08 (2025) Conner Mantz (USA) ~ Paris Olympic 8th-placer
Mantz has said he wants to try for the American Record of 2:05:38 by Khalid Kannouchi in 2002 in London.
Women:
● 2:16:34 (2024) Megertu Alemu (ETH) ~ 2023 Chicago third
● 2:17:00 (2025) Hawi Feysa (ETH) ~ 2025 Tokyo third
● 2:18:27 (2025) Bedati Hirpa (ETH) ~ Dubai and Paris 2025 winner
● 2:19:17 (2025) Hailu Desse (ETH) ~ London 2025 fourth
● 2:20:22 (2022) Mary Ngugi-Cooper (KEN) ~ 2021 Boston second
The top American entry is Natosha Rogers, who ran 2:23:51 in 2025 at Nagoya (JPN).
The race will be televised only locally.
● Swimming ● The first of the three-meet World Aquatics World Cup series is back in the U.S. for the first time since 2022 and before than, in 2006. The three stages – all at 25 m (short course) – are in Carmel, Indiana (10-12 October), then Westmont, Illinois (17-19 October) and Toronto (CAN) from 23-25 October.
The meet in Carmel features a lot of stars from the Paris Games and the Singapore World Championships, including, but certainly not limited to:
Men:
● Thomas Ceccon (ITA) ~ 2024 Olympic 100 m Back champ
● Hubert Kos (HUN) ~ 2024 Olympic, 2025 World 200 m Back champ
● Josh Liendo (CAN) ~ Paris Olympic 100 m Fly silver medalist
● Leon Marchand (FRA) ~ Paris 4x and Singapore 2x gold medalist
● Noe Ponti (SUI) ~ 2025 Worlds 50-100 m Fly runner-up
Women:
● Kate Douglass (USA) ~ Olympic and World 200 m Breast champion
● Summer McIntosh (CAN) ~ Paris 3x and Singapore 4x champ
● Kaylee McKeown (AUS) ~ Paris and Singapore 100-200 m Back champ
● Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) ~ Olympic and World 200 m Free champion
● Regan Smith (USA) ~ Paris 2x and Singapore 3x Backstroke silvers
● Gretchen Walsh (USA) ~ Singapore 50-100 m Fly champion
The total prize purse for the entire series is $1.2 million, plus bonuses for world (short course) records. The meet is to be shown on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
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