Athletics Weekly – September 2026

Summary

Amy Hunt's four-gold performance at the European Championships anchors the cover of Athletics Weekly's September 2026 issue, with the subhead "The Path to Winning It All" setting up a feature on how the British sprinter got faster and still has more to give. This is the Commonwealth Games and European Championships review special, covering Glasgow 2026 and Birmingham 2026 in a single packed edition that also includes the World U20 Championships, the Ultimate Champs preview, and in-depth profiles on Josh Kerr, Dina Asher-Smith, Georgia Hunter Bell and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Editorial director Euan Crumley opens with a question: are we living through a golden age of athletics? The evidence in this issue includes Yomif Kejelcha's half-marathon world record, Matt Hudson-Smith's 400m victory in Birmingham, Josh Kerr's record-breaking mile, and Amy Hunt's four European golds. Katharine Merry contributes her Commonwealth Games and European Championships perspective. The "Month in Numbers" page tracks the statistical highlights across both major championships.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Feature / Championships

p.26 · THE NEED FOR SPEED
Amy Hunt's path to four European gold medals and how she plans to get even faster. The feature details the technical adjustments that allowed her to dominate across 100m, 200m and both relays. Any sprinter working on multi-event load management can study the training structure described here.

p.22 · TANGLED UP IN BLUE
Katharine Merry gives her candid assessment of both the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Birmingham European Championships, comparing the atmosphere, organisation and competitive quality. A first-person reference for athletics fans who could not attend either event.

▸ Athlete Profiles

p.32 · OUT ON HER OWN
Dina Asher-Smith's record-breaking medal tally examined: how she reached it, which records fell, and what the numbers mean for her place in British athletics history. Fans tracking all-time medal tables get the context behind the stats.

p.36 · GEORGIA HUNTER BELL — DARING TO DO THE DOUBLE
The story of Hunter Bell making the most of her second chance on the track, with the 800m/1500m double attempt as the narrative centre. Middle-distance runners can compare her race tactics against their own.

p.56 · JOSH KERR — INSIDE THE MIND OF A RECORD-BREAKER
Euan Crumley interviews Brooks Beasts assistant coach Julian Florez, who has worked long-term with Kerr, to uncover the habits and work ethic that separate a record-breaker from a contender. The coaching insights here are directly applicable to any elite training group.

▸ Rising Talent

p.14 · RISING STAR — OTIS POOLE
World U20 medal-winning high jumper Otis Poole comes under the spotlight, with his technical development and competition history assessed. Age-group coaches can benchmark their own athletes against his progression timeline.

p.16 · BRING IT ON
Rob Walker argues there is much to be excited about from the World U20 Championships, identifying which junior performers could make the step up to senior level in the next Olympic cycle. A scouting resource for federation talent-identification staff.

▸ Regulars / Features

p.8 · DIGEST — MATT HUDSON-SMITH'S SHOW OF STRENGTH
The 400m specialist's victory in Birmingham is covered with race analysis and quotes. Fans who missed the race get a split-by-split breakdown.

p.10 · THE MONTH IN NUMBERS
Statistical digest of the best performances from Glasgow and Birmingham, formatted as quick-reference data.

p.12 · MY GREATEST RACE — JON RIDGEON
The former world 110m hurdler recalls a painful but successful world final, offering a veteran's perspective on racing through injury.

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Editor's Take

The September 2026 issue is the most efficient way to catch up on a summer that produced two major championships plus world records, and Athletics Weekly handles the volume without feeling rushed. The Amy Hunt feature justifies the cover with technical detail most news coverage missed. Josh Kerr's coach-interview format is a smart angle — getting Julian Florez on the record about Kerr's habits is more revealing than another Kerr Q&A. The weakest entry is "Out on Her Own" on Dina Asher-Smith, which leans too heavily on medal-count celebration without enough race-level analysis. Georgia Hunter Bell's double feature is solid but could have been paired with a training sidebar. This issue is ideal for athletics fans who follow the full calendar and want analysis beyond the BBC highlights package.

Strengths
• Amy Hunt's four-gold European performance covered with technical specificity
• Josh Kerr coach interview provides access to training insights
• Dual-championship coverage in one issue is efficient for time-poor readers

Weaknesses
• Dina Asher-Smith feature lacks race-level tactical analysis
• Georgia Hunter Bell piece needs a training or coaching companion sidebar

Verdict: Recommended — a strong championship-review issue that delivers on its cover promise, with one or two features that could have gone deeper.