Museum of World Athletics

☘️ The Irish Schools’ Athletics Association (ISSA) – whose championships have helped identify, nurture and develop generations of athletics talent across the island of Ireland – has been recognised with a World Athletics Heritage Plaque in the ‘competition’ category.

The plaque was officially presented on Friday 29 May 2026 at Tullamore Harriers Stadium in Spollanstown, County Offaly, where it will remain on permanent public display. The presentation was made by Pierce O'Callaghan, Head of Competition Management at World Athletics, Brid Golden, President of Athletics Ireland, and Billy Delaney, President of Irish Schools.

Full story below ⤵️

Behind the shades shielding his eyes from the glare of the late evening floodlights, it was not difficult to imagine the thoughts of James Edward Hardee III as he crossed the line to win heat three of the decathlon 400m at the London 2012 Olympics.

As he packed away the bright yellow sprint spikes – which he has generously donated to the Museum of World Athletics – Trey Hardee had reason to be more than satisfied with that state of affairs.

Link to full story below !

🇯🇵 Three reasons Kinue Hitomi’s century-old women’s athletics book still matters !

Today, 20 May, marks the centenary of the publication of The Latest Methods of Women’s Track and Field Athletics. Little known today, it was nevertheless the first athletics book written by a global female athletics champion – and its author, Kinue Hitomi, was only 19 years old.

The year of its publication, 1926, was also the year Hitomi set her first world records, two years before women were allowed to compete in athletics at the Olympic Games for the first time.

A century later, the 234-page book remains far more than a historical curiosity. Here are three reasons why it still occupies a unique place in evolution of the sport...

On this day in 1966, Tommie Smith was timed in 19.5 for 220 yards.
The barrier-breaking feat was hailed by Track and Field News as “the greatest performance in the history of track and field.”

Full story by Simon Turnbull ⤵️

As the World Athletics Relays team competition in Gaborone comes to a close, we look back at an individual performance that stands out, improving a 33-year-old world best! Lythe Pillay, 23 years old, beats Michael Johnson’s mark in the men’s 4x400m final, won by Botswana (2:54.47) ahead of South Africa (2:55.07).

Pillay is standing on the shoulders of giants!

Progression of World Best 4x400 splits
Time (leg)
44.6 (3) Herb McKenley 🇯🇲 Helsinki 1952
44.6y/44.3 (4) Eddie Southern 🇺🇸 Lawrence 1958
44.3 (4) Henry Carr 🇺🇸 Hannover 1963
43.8 (3) Tommie Smith 🇺🇸 Los Angeles 1966
43.9y/43.6 (4) Larry James 🇺🇸 Philadelphia 1968
43.4 (2) Ron Freeman 🇺🇸 Mexico 1968
43.2 (2) Ron Freeman 🇺🇸 Mexico 1968
43.00 (2) Quincy Watts 🇺🇸 Barcelona 1992
42.94 (4) Michael Johnson 🇺🇸 Stuttgart 1993
42.66 (2) Lythe Pillay 🇿🇦 Gaborone 2026

📸 Lythe Pillay IG

We’re thrilled to see the "Flying Finn" Paavo Nurmi 🇫🇮 inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame during this past weekend's 130th edition.
Nearly a century ago in 1929, Nurmi’s dominant wins at these very Relays helped put the event on the global map.
It was great to see Jari Salonen of the Paavo Nurmi Games there to represent the family legacy. This is a beautiful bridge between the history we celebrate at MOWA and the future of international track and field.
The Penn Relays were part of his second American tour (following 1925). Much like a headlining star, Nurmi moved from city to city, famously refusing interviews while paradoxically drawing massive media attention everywhere he went.

Here is a look at his relentless 1929 🇺🇸 schedule:
19.01.1929 – New York, Brooklyn: 3000y (i) – 7:43.4 (1st)
26.01.1929 – Boston: 2 Miles (i) – 9:11.8 (1st)
31.01.1929 – Newark: 2 Miles (i) – 9:19.6 (1st) hcp
02.02.1929 – Boston: 2 Miles (i) – 9:15.8 (1st)
09.02.1929 – New York: 1 Mile (i) – 4:18.4 (2nd)
13.02.1929 – Philadelphia: 3000m (i) – 8:38.5 (1st)
18.02.1929 – New York: 2 Miles (i) – 9:15.4 (1st) hcp
20.02.1929 – Detroit: 1¼ Mile (i) – 6:55.4 (1st) hcp
23.02.1929 – New York: 2 Miles (i) – 9:11.8 (2nd)
09.03.1929 - New York: 2 Miles (i) – 8:17 (team race)
16.03.1929 – New York: 4 Miles (i) – 19:27.6 hcp
20.03.1929 - Hamilton (CAN): 2 Miles – 9:23.6 (exh)
29.03.1929 – Austin, Texas Relays: 2 Miles – 9:23.8 (1st)
30.03.1929 – Dallas: 2 Miles – 9:40.2 (1st)
26.04.1929 – Philadelphia, Penn Relays: 2 Miles – 9:15.4 (1st)
27.04.1929 – Philadelphia, Penn Relays: 3 Miles – 14:29.2 (1st)
02.06.1929 – New York: 6 Miles – 30:36.6 (1st)

Nearly a century later, his historic dominance in Philly continues to inspire. Congratulations to Charlie O’Donovan for winning this year’s Benjamin Franklin Mile, run in Nurmi’s honor, with on the sub-4 win! 3:59.61⏱️!
A beautiful bridge between the history we celebrate at MOWA and the future of international track and field.

📸 Paavo Nurmi during the two mile run at the Penn Relay Carnival held at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,1929

🏃‍♀️ The 130th Boston Marathon gets underway today, Monday 20 April!

To mark the occasion, we highlight one of the race’s great legends: Rosa Mota 🇵🇹, three-time winner in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

The Portuguese icon has recently donated an artefact from each of her three victories to the Museum of World Athletics, preserving her remarkable legacy.

👉 Discover her story in this portrait by Simon Turnbull for World Athletics Heritage.

🎨 Happy World Art Day! 🌍

Most of us know Al Oerter 🇺🇸 as the ultimate discus legend, the first ever to grab four consecutive Olympic golds. 🥇🥇🥇🥇 But did you know he was just as explosive with a paintbrush as he was in the throwing circle?
Check out this piece from the MOWA collection!

🫟Al Oerter wasn't your typical painter. In fact, he literally brought the sport onto the canvas. To create his signature look, he would smash his discus directly into puddles of wet paint on the canvas.
This "Impact Painting" isn't just a cool trick; it’s a pure nod to the American Action Painting movement. Think Jackson Po***ck, but with the raw, kinetic energy of an Olympian. Instead of a brush, he used the force of a throw to capture motion, rhythm, and power in a permanent explosion of color.

🎨 Beyond his own work, Al was a huge believer in the creative power of athletes. In 2006, he helped launch the Art of the Olympians movement (a program of the Al Oerter Foundation), a platform that still brings together former Olympians turned artists today.
If you’re ever at the New York Athletic Club, keep an eye out, you’ll find more of his vibrant work hanging in their offices.

🥏 From the stadium to the studio, Al Oerter proves that elite sport and fine art speak the exact same language: energy.

🔎Find the painting and autograph discus implement in the Olympic Games gallery of MOWA 👇

The NN Marathon Rotterdam has been officially recognised for its outstanding contribution to the history and development of international road running with the presentation of the World Athletics Heritage Plaque.

The unveiling took place on 12 April, marking the event’s 45th edition and celebrating a race that has been a cornerstone of the global marathon circuit since its inception in 1981. From its humble beginnings with just 200 participants in its first year, the Rotterdam Marathon has grown into a massive international event, becoming the 115th recipient of the plaque and the fourth in the Netherlands.

Renowned for its flat, lightning-fast course and enthusiastic crowds, Rotterdam has long been a stage for historic performances....

Full story below! ⤵️

🇬🇷 « One hundred and thirty years ago, Edwin ‘Teddy’ Flack carved his name into sporting history, completing the Olympic 800m-1500m double at the inaugural modern Games in Athens. It remains one of the most remarkable feats of the early Olympic era – achieved in the space of just three days, and under circumstances that would test even the hardiest of competitors.

Remarkably, Flack’s exploits did not end there. Just 24 hours after sealing his place in Olympic history on the track, he stepped into unknown territory, lining up for the inaugural Olympic marathon. »

Full story in comment !

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