When the lights of Herculis EBS Meeting 2026 dance across the façade of the Stade Louis‑II in Monaco, the world of athletics will pause anticipating records.
The meeting has drawn fresh attention returning as the 10th leg of the Wanda Diamond League (on 10 July) with a programme of 16 disciplines, eight for women, eight for men.
For 2026, organisers have confirmed that on Saturday 10 July, the following events will take place for Women : 200 m · 400 m · 3000 m · 5000 m · 100 m hurdles · pole vault · triple jump and javelin.
For Men it will be 100 m · 400 m · 800 m · 3000 m · 5000 m · 3000 m steeplechase · high jump and long jump
It’s a programme built to thrill, from explosive sprints to endurance epics, from vertical vaults to athletic flights in the sandpit. But it also invites a question: what might the next wave of records look like?
The Record-Machine of Monaco
The meeting at Monaco has earned a reputation not just for hosting elite competition, but for creating history.
In 2020, the elite runner Joshua Cheptegei ran an astonishing 12:35.36 in the 5000 m at Monaco, setting a world record.
In 2023, the incomparable Faith Kipyegon shattered the women’s mile world record at Monaco with a time of 4:07.64.
In 2024, the Australian Jessica Hull ran the 2000 m in 5:19.70, another world record at the Principality with its unique blend of conditions: a fast track, motivated elite fields, a vibrant crowd, and a setting that seems to invite something extra.
What 2026 Could Bring
The fact that world records fall here is not accident. As Monaco continues to draw the best, 2026’s programme offers prime opportunities, especially the 5000 m, 3000 m, pole vault and jumps.
For example, the men’s programme includes the 3000 m and 5000 m, distances where previous world records (like Cheptegei’s) were set. The women’s side includes the 3000 m and 5000 m as well, opening the door for similar breakthroughs.
There will be a similar focus on jumps and hurdles. The women’s 100 m hurdles and pole vault, and the men’s long jump and high jump present field-event drama.
Spectator experience
Monaco’s setting, the principality skyline, the yacht-dotted harbour, the crowd buzz seems to raise the energy. Athletes often speak of “something special” when competing here.
What We’ll Be Watching
Imagine the scene on 10 July 2026, at dusk, the lights go up at Stade Louis-II. The track hums.
We’ll watch:
The men’s 800 m where in 2025, a meeting record of 1:41.44 was set. The air will crackle if someone attempts a world record
The women’s javelin is often overshadowed, yet Monaco’s field events boast world-class marksmanship.
The men’s 3000 m steeplechase is an event of grit, rhythm and jump-over-water drama set in a lightning-fast programme.
The women’s 3000 m and 5000 m after Hull’s world record in 2000 m, are longer distances beckoning for new milestones.
The jumps: pole vault, triple jump, long jump, high jump, each with its own high-wire tension between human limits and the stadium’s expectation of excellence.
World Record Shock?
The 2026 edition of Herculis will be a chance for history to beckon once more. As the Principality readies itself, move by move, for another night of spectacle, we’ll watch the programme of 16 disciplines and ask: Which one will deliver the next world-record shock?
