ATLANTA - May 16, 2025 - The adidas Atlanta City Games returns to Piedmont Park for its third and most dynamic edition this Saturday, May 17. In a single day, the park's Meadow and Midtown High School will be transformed into an urban arena of Olympians, World Champions, top high school stars and the fastest kids in Atlanta.
From the elevated sprint and jumps straightaways built for elites to the paved paths raced by Kilometer Kids, every level of the sport will be included. Free and open to the public, the event offers one of the most immersive and diverse track experiences anywhere, a celebration of speed, strength and the community that connects them.
Saturday's professional lineup features Olympic medalists, World Champions, and record-holders competing on an elevated track and specially constructed runway for long jump and pole vault in the Meadow of Piedmont Park.
Headlining the men's 200 meters is Wayde van Niekerk—the 400-meter world record-holder and Olympic gold medalist who will showcase his speed over half the distance. Joining him is a field stacked with international talent, including British National Record Holder Zharnel Hughes. Also stepping onto the straightaway is relay Olympic bronze medalist and World Champion, Elija Godwin, a proud Atlanta native. A University of Georgia alum, Godwin returns to his roots to compete in front of a hometown crowd.
The men's 150 meters promises to be an evenly matched clash of power and pace with World Championships silver medalist Alexander Ogando, African champion Ferdinand Omanyala and NCAA champion Terrence Jones among those in the hunt.
On the women's side, Olympic gold medalist Lynna Irby-Jackson returns to Atlanta looking to defend her 200-meter title against a deep field that includes World Champion Tamara Clark, Jamaican Olympian Niesha Burgher, and Guyana's three-time U23 National Champion Aliyah Abrams. In the 100-meter hurdles, fans can expect a showdown between current World Record-holder Tobi Amusan, former American Record-holder Kendra Harrison and 3rd fastest woman in history, Tia Jones. Jones - who attended Walton High School student and Atlanta native - and Jamaica's Megan Tapper round out a field where the only certainty is speed.
In the field, the long jump runway will take center stage. Italian World Indoor Champion Mattia Furlani and World Championships silver medalist Ese Brume are set to launch through the Atlanta air in what could be one of the most electrifying events of the day. They'll be joined by America's most versatile female athlete, 2-time World Championship Silver Medalist in the heptathlete, Anna Hall in the women's competition. Anna will also compete in the 100-meter hurdles.
While the pros bring global prestige, the heart of the day may lie in Georgia's own backyard. The Meet of Champions returns, showcasing the state's top high school athletes across 13 disciplines, many of whom are nationally ranked. All eyes will be on Maurice Gleaton of Langston Hughes High School, who set a state record of 9.98 in the 100 meters earlier this season.
In the hurdles, Dalen Penson of Sandy Creek, Thomas Fitzgerald of Langston Hughes, Blake Williams of Dunwoody and Amari Scott of Southwest Dekalb all bring sub-14 times to the boys' 110-meters hurdle. In the girl's 100-meters hurdles, Jasmine Robinson of North Cobb enters as one of the top hurdlers in the nation with her 13.22 and 39.81 PRs in the 100 meters and 300 meters hurdles, respectively.
As for the evening's distance events, Midtown's own Cameron Collier (9:09.96) and Marist School's Andrew Stricklin (4:12.13) will headline the boy's 3200 meters and mile, respectively. North Atlanta's Keayari Lee leads the boy's 800 meters with a 1:52.49 seeded time. In the girls' events, Mary Nesmith (4:45.90) of Marietta High School leads the girl's 1600 meters, Averi Lowen, a rising junior at Bowden, highlights the 3200 meters with her 10:16.79 PR.
Field competition will feature elite performances from shot put standout Jared Moore (63-8) of Starrs Mill, Ava Kitchings of Greater Atlanta Christian School in the long jump (21-0.5) and Marley Derringer of Bremen, who has cleared six feet in the high jump—one of the rarest benchmarks in high school girls' track and field.
The day kicks off with the adidas Atlanta City Games Youth Mile & Dash, an open-to-the-public event that also serves as the season finale for Atlanta Track Club's Kilometer Kids program. Children ages 5 to 14 will take to the paved paths for the Mile and then the elevated track for the Dash, racing where the pros will soon fly later that afternoon.
Later in the evening, the adidas Atlanta Youth City Games will allow Georgia's fastest 9 to 14-year-olds to command the spotlight, running 100 meters under the skyline on the very same surface where World Champions had raced hours earlier.
The day will end on the oval at Midtown High School, where the Meet of Champions will close with a carnival of distance events, including elite 800 meters and 1500 meters. Several members of Atlanta Track Club Elite will compete on home soil. World Indoor bronze medalist Luke Houser, along with Swedish National Champion Yolanda Ngarambe, will line up in front of friends, family and the local community that fuels their journey year-round.
For more information on the adidas Atlanta City Games, visit this website.
Please note the following athlete changes:
Grant Holloway has withdrawn from the competition and will not attend.
Noah Lyles, originally slated to compete, will not race due to injury but is expected to be in attendance.