The countdown to the most prestigious individual honor in athletics has begun, as World Athletics unveiled the list of nominees for the ‘Track Female Athlete of the Year Award’. After a season defined by new records, dominant performances, and history-making runs, only five names remain in contention. And the fans are already divided into factions to support their favorites. 

The first one to enter the list is none other than Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet. She delivered a historic double, winning both the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships. Additionally, she also broke the 5000m world record (at the Eugene Diamond League) to become the first woman ever to dip under 14 minutes, with a record time of 13:58.06. The next on the list is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The American stormed to two world titles in the 400m and 4x400m with championship records and the fastest time seen in four decades. She became the 400m world leader in 2025 by clocking in at 47.78s. 

Faith Kipyegon continued her dominance as the next nominee. The Kenyan long-distance athlete ran the 1500m distance in 3:48.68 on July 5, 2025 at the Hayward Field, Eugene. With this, she became the world leader in the 1500m this season. Kipyegon also clocked her season best time (14:55.07) in 5000m in Tokyo to clinch silver.

Next up was Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. She emerged as the sprint queen, sweeping gold in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays. She set the 100m championship record in 10.61s, and became the 200m world leader in 2025, finishing the race in 21.68s. Meanwhile, Femke Bol cemented her status as the world’s premier 400m hurdler, claiming a world title in the discipline. She became the world leader in 2025 season with a time of 51.54s. She also claimed the silver in the mixed 4x400m and a bronze in the 4x400m relay in Tokyo. 

While many fans celebrated the nomination of their favorite athletes, some formed conjectures around the potential nominations of a few track stars on the list.

Fans rush to choose sides following Track Athlete of the Year nomination

Each athlete had their fans lining up for their defense in the comments section. Many believed that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone deserved the award, while others took up the stance in support of Jefferson-Wooden. One fan wrote, “Love Sydney but [Melissa Jefferson-Wooden] well deserves.” With three gold medals in the Tokyo World Championships, her standing in the list is fairly strong. 

Meanwhile, some of the fans stood up for Chebet’s defense. One fan commented, “I dont like the lack of recognition Chebet is getting. Undoubtedly the athlete of the year.” Well, Chebet has definitely aced the 5000m sprint by breaking a 14 minute barrier, but in a discipline that doesn’t always grab headlines. On the other hand, some fans claimed that Femke Bol shouldn’t be on the list. One fan wrote, “Very tough competition, apart from Femke every other person could easily win and be justified.”

Furthermore, a few fans pointed out that there were only two world record holders in the list – Chebet and Kipyegon. And that certainly puts them apart from the competition. One fan reflected on this and wrote, “Only 2 WR holders on the list. That sets them apart for the season just ended.” Another fan added to the notion and wrote, “The 2 distance ladies clearly on top. Only ones with WR in their resume this season. Beatrice a definite front runner after that historic sub 14 min 5k. Only woman in history.” 

Given an impressive season all five athletes had this year, choosing just one winner is going to be an uphill battle. And the fans know it pretty well. One comment claimed, “Honestly this is a tough one. All of them deserve all the accolades.” But who do you think should receive the Track Athlete of the Year award?