Masai Russell wins 2026 undefeated season and world record
The 26-year-old American won all 14 of her 100m hurdles races this year, including a personal best of 12.09 seconds that broke the global standard.
By Sarah Reynolds ·
Masai Russell finished the 2026 track season without a loss. The 26-year-old American won 14 consecutive races in the 100-meter hurdles. Her victory at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships concluded a year in which she secured every start she entered.
Russell set a new world record in August during a Diamond League meeting in Zurich. She finished in 12.09 seconds, improving the previous mark held by Tobi Amusan by three-hundredths of a second. She ran under 12.3 seconds nine times this year. In the history of the event, women have broken that 12.3-second barrier only 49 times.
The undefeated streak and record time earned Russell a nomination for the 2026 Women’s World Athlete of the Year award. The ceremony is scheduled for November 29 in Monaco. She will compete against Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the 100-meter and 200-meter star, and Audrey Werro, the European 800-meter champion.
Russell grew up in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She began athletics at age eight and frequently raced her older brothers, Philip and Divine, on the streets near their home. Her parents, Sharon and Mark Russell, supported her training by managing logistics at local meets and modeling a strong work ethic. Sharon Russell is a physician, and her dedication influenced her daughter’s approach to the sport.
Her path to the top included early setbacks. At the 2023 NCAA Championships, she ran 12.32 seconds but lost to Ackera Nugent. Later that year, she crashed out of the World Championships semifinals after hitting a hurdle. In 2024, she won the US Olympic Trials and then claimed gold at the Paris Olympics. She beat France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela by one hundredth of a second.
Russell has used social media to share her journey since 2017. Her YouTube channel has 69,300 subscribers, where she posts vlogs documenting her training and life. She also maintains an Instagram presence and sells a personal merchandise line. Her coach, Lonnie Greene, has worked with her since her time at the University of Kentucky.
Russell prepares for the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. She aims to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter hurdles. She stated her goal is to be recognized as the best hurdler in history, similar to how athletes remember Usain Bolt.
Source: CNN
