2026 Race Schedule and life update

Hey y’all,

I’m hoping to do more writing this year, but I wanted to pop on here first and share my tentative race schedule for the year. A lot of this could change, but I have a general idea of where and when I’d like to race. Before diving into the calendar, I want to talk through the goals for the year and how training has been going heading into 2026.

Goals & Training

The primary competitive goal this year is to qualify for the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen (September) in either the road mile or road 5K. A secondary focus is running fast this winter and early spring — I’ve got a few dusty old PRs that need to go.

This fall and winter build has been steady and familiar in a lot of ways, but we’ve also layered in some harder work earlier than usual to prepare for upcoming races. Last week we did a faster speed-endurance workout — something I don’t typically touch this time of year:
4x (600–400) with 75 seconds between reps and 3 minutes between sets. The 600s were 1:31–1:29, and the 400s were 58–57.

Nothing out of this world, but I was really happy with how smooth it felt. Short rest VO₂ max work at altitude is… not easy. That same week included a double-T session and some hills and track work later on. Joan is definitely pushing me a bit more than normal this fall and winter, but with two healthy years of training under my belt, it still feels smart and within reason to turn the screw slightly.

It’s easy to fall into comfortable rhythms in training — which is mostly a good thing — but the last month has been a reminder that at the end of the day, you have to run fast to race fast. With a wide range of events on the calendar this year, we’re preparing for a little bit of everything.

Outside of Running

Outside of training and racing, our coaching business (HAX Training) just signed a two-year deal with TrainingPeaks, and we’re expanding our media efforts with that support. We’re able to hire our intern, Rachael, full-time, and I’m excited about building more on that side of things in 2026 and beyond.

My running has been the main focus the past couple of years, but it’s been refreshing to have something else to invest energy into as well.

On the sponsorship side, I’m still proudly repping ASICS, re-signed with Thule, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and will also be repping Garmin this year. You can find all of my favorite products — and more — at my storefront link below.

Family & Summer Plans

Finally — and most importantly — if you look closely at the calendar and notice that USA Outdoor Championships are missing, that’s intentional.

My wife and I are expecting our third child this summer, due July 28th — which also happens to fall on the same weekend as USA Outdoors (and our wedding anniversary). Because of that, I’ll be taking August off to adjust to new family life.

All things considered, this feels like a really good time for our family to grow. With no World Track Championships or Olympics on the calendar, it’s a rare summer where stepping away makes sense. Most of my competitive goals fall earlier in the year anyway, so in many ways, the timing works out perfectly.

I’ll definitely miss being at USA Champs, but we’re beyond excited to meet the newest member of the Hunter family. Life is going to be hectic through the summer and into the fall, and I’m not totally sure what that season will look like yet — but I’m excited to share more as it unfolds.

Thanks, as always, for following along.

January – February | Indoor & Early Road Build

• Jan 17 – Kansas State Invitational (3k)

• Jan 24 – CU Boulder Invitational (mile)

• Feb 1 – Millrose Games (2 Mile)

• Feb 15 – Indoor 5K – Winston-Salem, NC (5k)

Focus: Run fast! This is my first full indoor track season in over two years and the goal is to run fast! The first two races will be pretty low-key but the last two will be great opportunities to chase PRs. Millrose will be a 2 mile world record attempt and Winston Salem will be a great opportunity to chase a low 13 minute 5k race.

March – April | Road Racing Focus

• Mar 15 – NYC Half Marathon

• Apr 12 – Carlsbad 5K

• Apr 21 – USATF Road Mile Championships

Focus: Road racing!! And maybe a half debut? We will see…

May | Championships

• May 2 – USATF Road 5K Championships

Focus: Try to make a world team!

June – July | Elite Track Racing Block

• June 6 – USATF NYC Grand Prix

• June 14 – USATF LA Grand Prix

• July 11 – Sound Running Sunset Tour

Focus: My mini track season! I would love to run a 1500m pb!

Late July – August | Family First

Focus: Momma, baby, and family time! Any tips for 3 kids?

September | Championship Scenario

• Sept 19–20 – World Road Running Championships (Copenhagen)
  (contingent on qualification)
  

Overall, this is what I’d consider a pretty ~chill~ race schedule. I remember a sports marketing exec once talking about how important it is for athletes to have an “off” year every few seasons. In a lot of ways, this feels like one of those years for many top athletes.

That’s not to say there aren’t still big-time races — there absolutely are — but the overall temperature of the season feels a bit lower. And for any athletes chasing a massive contract… maybe wait until next year to break out 😉 (kidding… mostly).

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2026. I’m grateful to be lining up for another year and looking forward to what I think will be a really special one.

— Drew