The qualification criteria for athletics at the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games have been officially revealed.
The newly established standards reflect a significant tightening compared to those for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. For example, the qualifying time for the men’s marathon has changed from 2:08:10 for Paris to 2:05:00 for Los Angeles. Likewise, the qualifying benchmark for women has been revised from 2:26:50 to 2:22:20.
A closer examination of the new standards reveals a considerable increase in the hurdles that athletes must overcome to secure their positions on national teams.
Athletics Program Overview
The athletics segment of the Games will comprise 23 events for both men and women, as well as two mixed events: the 4x100m mixed relay, which will make its Olympic debut, and the 4x400m mixed relay.
Emulating a model similar to that utilized in recent international outdoor championships, the qualification process will now follow a dual pathway system. This innovative approach is projected to allow approximately 40 percent of athletes to qualify by meeting entry standards, while the remaining 60 percent will secure their spots based on their world rankings. This represents a notable shift from the qualification criteria for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where half of the qualification spots were allocated for athletes achieving the official entry standard, and the other half were determined by world rankings.
Qualification Process Details
It is critical to emphasize that merely meeting the entry standard does not guarantee qualification. In instances where the number of athletes surpassing the standard exceeds the available quota spots in an event, positions will be assigned to those demonstrating the strongest performances during the qualification period, up to the event’s specified quota. In such circumstances, no additional athletes will qualify based on world rankings.
Qualification and ranking periods will differ according to the event:
- Marathon: November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028.
- 10,000m, combined events, race walks, and relays: December 19, 2026, to June 18, 2028.
- All other events: June 19, 2027, to June 18, 2028.
Results from competitions conducted during the designated qualification period will be fully counted toward qualification.
Furthermore, results from national senior outdoor championships occurring within the qualification window will be taken into account, provided that performances are recorded by Thursday, June 22.
| Men | Event | Women |
| 9.93 | 100m | 10.96 |
| 19.95 | 200m | 22.25 |
| 44.40 | 400m | 49.90 |
| 1:43.00 | 800m | 1:57.00 |
| 3:30.00 | 1500m | 3:57.50 |
| 12:50.00 | 5000m | 14:34.00 |
| 26:48.00 | 10,000m | 30:30.00 |
| 13.18 | 110m H / 100m H | 12.58 |
| 48.00 | 400m Hurdles | 54.00 |
| 8:07.50 | 3000m Steeplechase | 9:06.00 |
| 2.32m | High Jump | 1.97m |
| 5.90m | Pole Vault | 4.80m |
| 8.30m | Long Jump | 6.90m |
| 17.35m | Triple Jump | 14.50m |
| 21.50m | Shot Put | 19.30m |
| 67.20m | Discus Throw | 65.00m |
| 78.50m | Hammer Throw | 74.00m |
| 85.50m | Javelin Throw | 63.80m |
| 8650 PTS | Decathlon | — |
| — | Heptathlon | 6550 PTS |
| WRWTC | Half Marathon Race Walk | WRWTC |
| 2:05:00 | Marathon | 2:22:20 |
| Men | Event | Women |
| 10.00 | 100m | 11.07 |
| 20.16 | 200m | 22.57 |
| 45.00 | 400m | 50.95 |
| 1:44.70 | 800m | 1:59.30 |
| 3:33.50 (3:50.40 Mile) | 1500m | 4:02.50 (4:20.90 Mile) |
| 13:05.00 | 5000m | 14:52.00 |
| 27:00.00 | 10,000m | 30:40.00 |
| 13.27 | 110m Hurdles | 12.77 (100m Hurdles) |
| 48.70 | 400m Hurdles | 54.85 |
| 8:15.00 | 3000m Steeplechase | 9:23.00 |
| 8,460 pts | Decathlon / Heptathlon | 6,480 pts |
| Men | Event | Women |
| 2:08:10 | Marathon | 2:26:50 |
| 1:20:10 | 20km Race Walk | 1:29:20 |
An alternative qualification pathway for the marathon is available through a top-five finish at a Platinum Label Marathon.
| Men | Event | Women |
| 2.33m | High Jump | 1.97m |
| 5.82m | Pole Vault | 4.73m |
| 8.27m | Long Jump | 6.86m |
| 17.22m | Triple Jump | 14.55m |
| 21.50m | Shot Put | 18.80m |
| 67.20m | Discus Throw | 64.50m |
| 78.20m | Hammer Throw | 74.00m |
| 85.50m | Javelin Throw | 64.00m |
| Event | Men | Women | ||||
| Paris | LA28 | Δ | Paris | LA28 | Δ | |
| 100m | 10.00 | 9.93 | 0.07 | 11.07 | 10.96 | 0.11 |
| 200m | 20.16 | 19.95 | 0.21 | 22.57 | 22.25 | 0.32 |
| 400m | 45.00 | 44.40 | 0.60 | 50.95 | 49.90 | 1.05 |
| 800m | 1:44.70 | 1:43.00 | 1.70 | 1:59.30 | 1:57.00 | 2.30 |
| 1500m | 3:33.50 | 3:30.00 | 3.50 | 4:02.50 | 3:57.50 | 5.00 |
| 5000m | 13:05.00 | 12:50.00 | 15.00 | 14:52.00 | 14:34.00 | 18.00 |
| 10,000m | 27:00.00 | 26:48.00 | 12.00 | 30:40.00 | 30:30.00 | 10.00 |
| 110mH / 100mH | 13.27 | 13.18 | 0.09 | 12.77 | 12.58 | 0.19 |
| 400m Hurdles | 48.70 | 48.00 | 0.70 | 54.85 | 54.00 | 0.85 |
| 3000m Steeplechase | 8:15.00 | 8:07.50 | 7.50 | 9:23.00 | 9:06.00 | 17.00 |
| High Jump | 2.33m | 2.32m | 0.01m | 1.97m | 1.97m | 0.00m |
| Pole Vault | 5.82m | 5.90m | +0.08m | 4.73m | 4.80m | +0.07m |
| Long Jump | 8.27m | 8.30m | +0.03m | 6.86m | 6.90m | +0.04m |
| Triple Jump | 17.22m | 17.35m | +0.13m | 14.55m | 14.50m | 0.05m |
| Shot Put | 21.50m | 21.50m | 0.00m | 18.80m | 19.30m | +0.50m |
| Discus Throw | 67.20m | 67.20m | 0.00m | 64.50m | 65.00m | +0.50m |
| Hammer Throw | 78.20m | 78.50m | +0.30m | 74.00 | 74.00 | 0.00m |
| Javelin Throw | 85.50m | 85.50m | 0.00m | 64.00m | 63.80m | 0.20m |
| Decathlon | 8,460 | 8,650 | +190 | — | — | — |
| Heptathlon | — | — | — | 6,480 | 6,550 | +70 |
| Marathon | 2:08:10 | 2:05:00 | 3:10 | 2:26:50 | 2:22:20 | 4:30 |
Note: A negative time difference indicates stricter qualifying standards, while a positive difference in field events signifies that longer or higher marks are needed for qualification.