According to the World Athletics official website, fans will have full voting power to decide the award shortlist via the World Athletics app, before an expert panel picks the winner.
A statement from the website confirmed: "The 18 nominees for the new Moment of the Year honour have been confirmed and the fan vote is now open to decide the shortlist from which a World Athletics expert panel will confirm the inaugural winner - to be announced as part of the World Athletics Awards in Monaco on 29 November.
"The Moment of the Year award has been introduced to celebrate the most memorable occasion of the season - one that may transcend a single performance and generate emotion and inspiration among fans and spectators around the world."
Sawe an instant success
Sawe’s nomination comes a few months after he failed to defend his Berlin Marathon title after withdrawing owing to an injury.
Sawe was among the athletes who had confirmed their participation in the Berlin event, which took place on September 27th. It was supposed to be Sawe’s first marathon since his historic 1:59:30 world record in London in April.
Sawe has been an instant success over the marathon distance since taking it up last year, following his victory in the half marathon at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.
During the last Berlin Marathon, Sawe lived up to his billing as favourite as he produced a long solo run to win the men's race in a world-leading 2:02:16.
Sawe finished almost four minutes ahead of his nearest challenger, Japan’s Akiraa Akasaki, who clocked 2:16:15, with third place going to Ethiopia's Chimdessa Debele in 2:06:57.
Sawe initially ran middle distances, only attempting the 5000 metres for the first time in 2019 under serendipitous circumstances: having arrived late to an athletics meet, it was the only race still available.
During the 2026 London Marathon, Sawe became the first person to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours when he won in a world-record time of 1:59:30.
A previous sub-two-hour run by Eliud Kipchoge in the Ineos 1:59 Challenge in 2019 was not recognised as a valid record as it was not achieved under race conditions.
Ngetich shortlisted for women’s award
Fresh from setting a course record in Tokyo, Kenya’s distance star Agnes Ngetich has also been shortlisted in the women’s category.
Ngetich powered through the tape in the women’s race to win the Tokyo Half Marathon in 1:04:23.
Her mark shattered the previous course record of 1:07:27, three minutes faster than that set by compatriot Loice Chemnung when she triumphed in 2024.
She is the reigning World Cross Country Champion, having won the title at the 2026 World Cross Country Championships.
Ngetich previously won two gold medals with Kenya in the team events at the 2023 and 2024 World Cross Country Championships, with a bronze medal in the senior women’s race in 2023.
The Moment of the Year fan vote will close on October 26th and the finalists will be announced on November 3rd. The World Athletics expert panel will then decide on the winner from that fan-voted shortlist.
The winner will be announced live on stage during the World Athletics Awards taking place in Monaco on November 29th.
Other awards presented on stage will include the women’s and men’s World Athlete of the Year and Rising Star honours, Coach of the Year and the President’s Award.
List of nominees for 2026 Moment of the Year
• Tigst Assefa’s women-only world marathon record of 2:15:41 in London
• Botswana’s men’s 4x400m win on home soil at the World Athletics Relays
• Alison dos Santos’ world 400m hurdles record of 45.80 in Zurich
• The pole vault duel between Mondo Duplantis (6.25m) and Emmanouil Karalis (6.20m) in Zurich
• Simon Ehammer’s world heptathlon record of 6670 for world indoor gold in Toruń
• Keely Hodgkinson’s world 800m short track record of 1:54.87 in Liévin
• Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s return after injury to win the European 5000m title
• Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's Ultimate Championship sprint double
• Yomif Kejelcha’s world half marathon record of 56:51 in Buenos Aires
• Josh Kerr’s world mile record of 3:42.66 in London
• Agnes Ngetich’s women-only world record of 1:05:15 for world half marathon gold
• Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage’s last-round 91.09m to win the Ultimate javelin title
• Masai Russell’s world 100m hurdles record of 12.09 in Zurich
• Sebastian Sawe breaking two hours with a 1:59:30 world marathon record in London
• Gianmarco Tamberi's world high jump lead of 2.37m to win the Ultimate title
• Ja'Kobe Tharp’s world 110m hurdles record of 12.75 in the NCAA semifinals
• Audrey Werro’s 1:53.70 800m – the third-fastest time in history
• Yan Ziyi’s world U20 javelin record of 71.74m – the second-farthest throw in history
