The 41st National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 will take place from 23 to 27 October at the JN Stadium in Chennai, and online entries close on Friday 9 October. The meet also covers four age groups, from Under 14 to Under 20.
This guide puts everything in one place for athletes, parents and coaches. You will find the entry standards for every age group, as well as the entry fee, the age rules and the documents you need for age verification. In addition, we explain how hard the standards really are, with results from this season.
National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 at a glance
- Dates: Friday 23 October to Tuesday 27 October 2026
- Venue: JN Stadium, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Organiser: Athletics Federation of India (AFI)
- Age groups: Under 14, Under 16, Under 18 and Under 20, for boys and girls
- Last date for entries: Friday 9 October 2026, online only, through your state association
- Entry fee: ₹250 per event, per athlete
- Age verification: from Wednesday 21 October at the stadium
Jump to: Key dates Age groups How to enter U20 standards U18 standards U16 standards Documents Schedule and results
National Junior Athletics Championships 2026: key dates
Four dates matter. Above all, do not miss the first one, because entries close that day.
Entries opened on 19 September, so only a few days remain. After that, the next step is age verification in Chennai.
Age groups: which category are you in?
Your date of birth decides your age group. For example, an athlete born on 15 March 2009 competes in the Under 18 group.
| Age group | Born between |
|---|---|
| Under 14 | 28 October 2012 and 27 October 2014 |
| Under 16 | 28 October 2010 and 27 October 2012 |
| Under 18 | 28 October 2008 and 27 October 2010 |
| Under 20 | 28 October 2006 and 27 October 2008 |
How to enter the National Junior Athletics Championships 2026
Athletes cannot enter on their own. Instead, the state or union territory association sends every entry online. So if you have the standard, contact your state association before 9 October.
| Rule | Under 20, Under 18 and Under 16 | Under 14 |
|---|---|---|
| Entries per state | Two athletes per event | One athlete per event |
| Events per athlete | Two individual events and one relay | One triathlon group, plus the kids javelin throw |
National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 entry standards: Under 20
These are the marks from the AFI circular. Times are in minutes and seconds, while field marks are in metres.
| Event | Men U20 | Women U20 |
|---|---|---|
| 100m | 10.90 | 12.75 |
| 200m | 23.00 | 26.50 |
| 400m | 50.00 | 58.50 |
| 800m | 1:55.00 | 2:20.00 |
| 1500m | 4:00.00 | 4:50.00 |
| 3000m | 9:14.00 | 11:40.00 |
| 5000m | 15:10.00 | 18:50.00 |
| 110m / 100m hurdles | 15.00 | 16.00 |
| 400m hurdles | 55.00 | 1:07.00 |
| 3000m steeplechase | 10:10.00 | 13:30.00 |
| 5000m race walk | 26:00.00 | 30:00.00 |
| High jump | 1.90m | 1.55m |
| Pole vault | 3.80m | 2.80m |
| Long jump | 6.80m | 5.30m |
| Triple jump | 14.50m | 11.60m |
| Shot put | 15.50m | 11.00m |
| Discus throw | 45.00m | 35.00m |
| Hammer throw | 60.00m | 39.00m |
| Javelin throw | 65.00m | 38.50m |
| Decathlon / Heptathlon | 5000 points | 3250 points |
| 4x100m relay | 44.00 | 52.00 |
| 4x400m relay | 3:24.00 | 4:05.00 |
The Under 20 programme also has 4x100m and 4x400m mixed relays. However, the circular does not list an entry standard for them.
Entry standards: Under 18
| Event | Boys U18 | Girls U18 |
|---|---|---|
| 100m | 11.50 | 13.00 |
| 200m | 23.60 | 27.00 |
| 400m | 51.70 | 1:03.00 |
| 1000m | 2:50.00 | 3:10.00 |
| 110m / 100m hurdles | 15.40 | 16.00 |
| High jump | 1.80m | 1.45m |
| Long jump | 6.50m | 5.00m |
| Shot put | 14.50m | 11.50m |
| Discus throw | 46.00m | 33.00m |
| Javelin throw | 58.00m | 35.00m |
| Heptathlon | 4000 points | 3000 points |
| Medley relay | 1:56.00 | 2:20.00 |
| 5000m race walk | 28:00.00 | Not listed |
Entry standards: Under 16 and Under 14
The Under 16 events are shorter and simpler. For example, the high jump is scissor style only, and the long jump uses a five-metre runway.
| Event | Boys U16 | Girls U16 |
|---|---|---|
| 60m | 8.00 | 9.50 |
| 600m | 1:30.00 | 1:45.00 |
| 80m hurdles | 12.00 | 13.50 |
| High jump (scissor) | 1.55m | 1.30m |
| Long jump (5m runway) | 4.20m | 3.50m |
| Shot put (standing throw) | 10.00m | 8.00m |
| Javelin throw (10m approach) | 38.00m | 30.00m |
| Pentathlon | 2800 points | 1800 points |
Under 14: no entry standards
However, the circular lists no entry standards for the Under 14 group. Instead, each athlete picks one triathlon group, and every Under 14 athlete also takes part in the kids javelin throw.
| Under 14 event | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Triathlon A | 60m, long jump (5m approach) and high jump (scissor) |
| Triathlon B | 60m, long jump (5m approach) and back throw (1kg shot) |
| Triathlon C | 60m, long jump (5m approach) and 600m |
| Kids javelin throw | Five-metre runway; compulsory for all Under 14 athletes |
How hard are the entry standards?
The standard is the minimum, not a medal mark. In order to show the gap, we compared the Under 20 standards with the winning marks at the North Zone Junior Championships in September.
| Event | Entry standard | North Zone 2026 winner | Winning mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men U20 100m | 10.90 | Sagar Baliyan (Uttar Pradesh) | 10.78 |
| Men U20 400m | 50.00 | Harmandeep Singh (Chandigarh) | 46.43 |
| Men U20 800m | 1:55.00 | Deepender (Haryana) | 1:52.68 |
| Men U20 1500m | 4:00.00 | Brijesh Kumar (Chandigarh) | 3:51.19 |
| Women U20 100m | 12.75 | Mannat (Haryana) | 12.62 |
| Women U20 400m | 58.50 | Harshil (Haryana) | 1:00.90 |
Most zone winners were well inside the standard. However, the last row tells a different story. Harshil won the North Zone Under 20 women’s 400m in 1:00.90, which is outside the 58.50 standard. So a zone gold does not guarantee the mark.
At the top end, however, the level is far higher. For example, Neil Samraj ran 10.46 in September to break the Under 18 100m national record, while the Under 18 entry standard is 11.50.
Similarly, Prem Raj of Bihar jumped 7.58m to win long jump gold at the National Youth Championships in Ludhiana. In comparison, the Under 18 entry standard for Chennai is 6.50m, so he cleared it by more than a metre.
Age verification: documents you must carry
The Age Verification Committee checks every athlete from 21 October at the stadium. No athlete can compete without this check, so carry the original documents.
Proof of age that AFI accepts
- Under 14 and Under 16: a certificate from the Birth and Death Registration Office, or the 10th standard certificate
- Above 16: the 10th standard certificate from a recognised board, or a birth certificate
- Athletes who did not attend school: a birth certificate
- School dropouts: a birth certificate and a school leaving certificate that shows the date of birth
- Certificates in a regional language: add an English or Hindi translation attested by a Gazetted Officer
Other rules at the venue
The National Anti-Doping Agency will conduct dope tests during the championships. In addition, AFI issues participation certificates online, and only to athletes who perform to the entry standard at the meet. Merit certificates also come online, after the dope test reports arrive.
Last year: Tamil Nadu won by two points
Bhubaneswar hosted the 40th edition at the Kalinga Stadium from 10 to 14 October 2025. Tamil Nadu won the overall trophy with 289 points, while Haryana finished second with 287, according to AFI.
Tamil Nadu therefore host the meet as defending champions. In addition, they have just won the overall title at the South Zone Junior Championships 2026.
National Junior Athletics Championships 2026 schedule and results
AFI has not published the day-wise schedule yet. We will add it here as soon as it is out, and then the results after every session from 23 October. Until then, results from every other meet this season are on our Indian athletics results page.