Is rivalry in track and field real… or just good storytelling? With every big meet, fans line up for more than just times and medals; they want tension, trash talk, and TikTok-worthy beef. Think Noah Lyles vs. Kishane Thompson. Think Sha’Carri Richardson and Shericka Jackson trading golds and glares. And in the hurdles? Karsten Warholm, Rai Benjamin, and Alison dos Santos have been pushing each other to the edge for years. So when all three lined up in Oslo on June 12, everyone expected fireworks. And wow, did the race deliver, but …rivalry?

In front of a roaring home crowd at the Oslo Diamond League, Warholm put on an absolute show, clocking a world-best 32.67 seconds in the rarely run 300m hurdles. It was fast and the perfect stage for a statement. Benjamin stormed in behind with 33.22, and dos Santos, never far from the action, rounded out the trio with 33.38. It marked the first time the three titans faced off in this event, and the energy was through the roof. So naturally, fans braced for some post-race tension. Maybe a sharp comment, a stare-down, a dig in the media? But nope. The vibe after the race was surprisingly chill, and even a little wholesome.

It was on Track and Field Gazette’s X feed that Rai Benjamin turned heads, not with his spikes, but with his words. That’s where he dropped the realest take of the season: “Yeah, I would say this isn’t the UFC, we’re not fighting each other. So hey, what’s the point of like having unnecessary beef? We leave that to the 100m sprinters. They have that on lock right now.” Wait, what? In a world where athletes sell rivalries like sneakers, Benjamin flipped the script. He didn’t just brush off the drama; he exposed it as unnecessary.

He further added, “But no… right now, but um, no, I think, I think it’s been pretty chill. We’ve always give each other a little ‘alright, good luck guys,’ and then, you know, whenever we cross the line, it’s always still love. So it’s it’s yeah, like, we’re not saving lives, we’re not fighting each other just running in a circle at the end of the day.” And he wasn’t alone. Alison dos Santos doubled down with a chilled-out take of his own: “I think we, we old enough to buy all the business, to get the car room… just try to make the environment good. Compete hard, then chill. Be friends. Enjoy it.” But let’s be clear: no beef doesn’t mean no fire. This rivalry with Rai Benjamin is real. How?

Rai Benjamin throws his hat into the ring of track’s fiercest rivalry

Just look back at Paris 2024, where Rai Benjamin finally broke through to Olympic gold in the 400m hurdles, clocking 46.46 seconds, equaling his season’s best and securing the fastest time in the world that year. It was a defining moment for the American, who had been knocking on the door of greatness for years. Karsten Warholm, the defending champ, gave it everything but settled for silver with 47.06, solid, but not enough to match his Tokyo magic. And Brazil’s Alison dos Santos? Cool as ever, he repeated his bronze-medal finish from Tokyo, finishing in 47.26. Since then, they’ve traded wins like chess grandmasters in spikes. But how did this all start?

Tokyo 2021: the race that changed everything. It was August 3rd, and the world stopped to watch what would become the greatest hurdles race of all time. On that day, Karsten Warholm blew the doors off the event with a 45.94 seconds, smashing his own world record and becoming the first man ever under 46. Benjamin chased like a man possessed, running 46.17 (still the second-fastest time in history!) and earning silver. Dos Santos, then just 21, clocked a Brazilian record of 46.72 for bronze, also breaking the previous Olympic record. The message was clear: the sport had entered a new era. Three athletes, all in their prime, all capable of world records, all elevating each other. And just like that, the rivalry was born.

Since then, it’s been a globe-trotting showdown on the Diamond League circuit. In 2022, dos Santos stunned everyone by winning the world title in Eugene with a 46.29 championship record, Benjamin took silver again, while an injured Warholm faded to seventh. In 2023 and 2024, the battles raged on. Brussels 2023 saw Benjamin edge out dos Santos, while Zurich saw Warholm top Rai Benjamin. In Xiamen 2024, all three clashed in one of the tightest races yet, Benjamin won in 46.47, Warholm close behind at 46.70, and dos Santos just behind in 46.87. Between them, they now own 18 of the 20 fastest times in history. No trash talk needed, just raw brilliance, race after race.