Glasgow gets its Commonwealth Games back.
Having shattered the world mile record at London's Diamond League meeting last weekend, Kerr will ramp up the hype when he re-runs the same event against his compatriot Jake Wightman, and the crowd noise when Scotland's finest middle-distance runner lines up for that race is going to be extraordinary. Glasgow's 11-day programme runs from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 2 August, with 215 gold medals across 10 sports, 3,000 athletes, and 74 nations competing.
It's a leaner Games than Birmingham 2022. The previous event in Birmingham had 31 events including para events while Glasgow will have 16, including the para sports. Hockey, diving, rugby sevens and cricket are among the sports that have been axed this year. But leaner does not mean less compelling, the 10 sports that made the cut are those that generate the best television, the most betting interest, and the most accessible global stars.
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| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | 2026 Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2026) |
| Dates | Thursday 23 July - Sunday 2 August 2026 |
| Host | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Sports | 10 (with integrated para events) |
| Gold medals | 215 |
| Athletes | ~3,000 |
| Nations | 74 |
| Mascot | Finnie (a unicorn, Scotland's national animal) |
| Opening ceremony | First fully indoor opening ceremony in Commonwealth Games history |
| Para sports | Largest para sport programme in Commonwealth Games history |
| Previous Glasgow Games | 2014 (Glasgow last hosted 12 years ago) |
| Sport | Para Events | Key Finals |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | Para Athletics | 26 July - 2 August (Mile final: 1 August) |
| Swimming | Para Swimming | 24-29 July |
| Artistic Gymnastics | - | 24-28 July |
| Track Cycling | Para Track Cycling | Semi-finals and finals: 2 August |
| Boxing | - | 24 July - 1 August |
| Judo | - | Across competition days |
| Bowls | Para Bowls | 24 July - 2 August |
| Netball | - | Final: 2 August |
| Weightlifting | - | Across competition days |
| 3×3 Basketball | Wheelchair Basketball | 24-29 July |
Australia topped the Birmingham 2022 medal table with 179 medals, including 67 golds. Team England was just three behind on 176. Birmingham's event in 2022 was described as Australia's "golden Games", with the nation ending the tournament with 67 gold medals, 11 ahead of second-placed England and well ahead of third-placed Canada.
Australia have topped the Commonwealth Games medal table at every edition since 1990. Their depth across swimming, athletics, netball, boxing, weightlifting, and cycling is simply unmatched in the Commonwealth context.
The critical pre-Games blow: Medal chances have been blighted by the late withdrawal of Kaylee McKeown due to a bout of glandular fever, as well as the revelation that Olympic champion Mollie O'Callaghan is carrying spinal fractures. These are Australia's two biggest swimming stars, McKeown's complete withdrawal and O'Callaghan managing an injury fundamentally changes the women's swimming gold count projection.
Australia are the team to beat in netball, but England, New Zealand and Jamaica will do their best to change the status quo. Their remaining swimming stars, Kyle Chalmers, Cameron McEvoy, Zac Stubblety-Cook, and Lani Pallister, provide significant medal potential despite the headline absences.
Verdict: Australia top the medal table. The margin over England narrows compared to Birmingham due to the swimming withdrawals, but Australia's breadth across 10 sports is definitive.
Team England was just three behind on 176 medals at Birmingham 2022. In Glasgow, with Australia weakened in the pool, England has its strongest realistic chance of closing the gap since the early 2000s.
England's swimming programme is genuinely exceptional. Adam Peaty goes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events as a treble Olympic gold medallist and world record holder. Matt Richards, James Guy, Tom Dean, Jack McMillan and Duncan Scott have won freestyle relay medals together for Great Britain but now line up as rivals in their home nation colours.
In athletics, Dina Asher-Smith, England's sprint queen, is a headline draw. The netball squad, with Tchine, who made her England debut in 2022 and whose form for London Pulse in the latest Super League campaign gives hope of emulating that famous 2018 Gold Coast triumph, provides England's clearest team sport medal narrative.
Verdict: England second. Best chance of reducing the Australian gold medal gap since the 2000s. Winning the overall medal table remains unlikely given Australia's all-sport depth.
Team Scotland won 51 medals with 13 golds at Birmingham. Glasgow gives Scotland a home crowd advantage unlike any other Games in recent memory, and they have the athletes to capitalise on it.
The flagship moment will be athletics. The 28-year-old Scot Josh Kerr, already sure to be one of the star attractions of his home Games, shattered the world mile record at London's Diamond League meeting last weekend. Kerr's 3:42.66, the fastest mile in human history, makes him the overwhelming favourite for mile gold and one of the most compelling individual betting propositions at these Games.
Beyond Kerr: Jake Wightman, Neil Gourley and Jemma Reekie also run as the historic Commonwealth Mile returns. Scotland could fill the first three positions in the men's mile in front of their home crowd, one of the great possible moments of the Glasgow Games.
In bowls, Scotland's five-time Commonwealth gold medallist Neil Marshall, 59, is Scotland's most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete. He won his first medal in Manchester in 2002. Marshall will be joined in Glasgow by his 23-year-old niece, Beth Riva.
Verdict: Scotland's home crowd is worth medals. Expect a significant improvement on Birmingham's 13 golds. A realistic 20-25 gold target is possible.
The perennial powers Australia, England, Canada, India, and host nation Scotland are pre-listed as the expected top-five medal table nations.
Canada's medal profile spans athletics, swimming, and boxing. India's strength at these Games concentrates in boxing, weightlifting, and athletics, and Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic javelin champion, headlines the athletics competition.
Saturday, August 1 is the biggest day with 44 gold medals decided, including 19 athletics finals. The entire 11 days of competition essentially builds to this day.
The Mile - Men's (1 August) The story of Glasgow 2026. The mile finals are scheduled for 1 August. Josh Kerr, world record holder (3:42.66), runs at his home Games in front of a stadium that will likely be the loudest sporting atmosphere in the UK this year. Cam Myers' biggest threats are Scottish Olympic star Josh Kerr and World silver medallist Jake Wightman.
Scotland could genuinely fill three of the top five positions. Kerr is the bet, this is his once-in-a-generation home Games moment on the event where he just set a world record.
The Mile - Women's (1 August) Australia's Jess Hull is in form after winning the 3000m at the London Diamond League. Cameron Myers and Jess Hull represent Australia's strongest mile athletics cards.
Sprints Jamaica's five-time Olympic medallist Shericka Jackson headlines the women's sprint programme. Jamaica in the sprints at a multi-sport Games is always a significant medal source.
Javelin Neeraj Chopra (India) is the defending and reigning Olympic champion. His participation adds one of global sport's biggest athletics names to the programme.
Australia's swimming dominance is the bedrock of their medal table position at every Commonwealth Games. Glasgow 2026 arrives with that bedrock cracked.
Kaylee McKeown's shock withdrawal through illness is the biggest single pre-Games betting development. McKeown is the world's premier female backstroke swimmer, her withdrawal from the 100m and 200m backstroke events immediately opens those golds to competitors from England, Canada, and other nations.
Adam Peaty (England): Treble Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Adam Peaty goes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events. Peaty at a major Games in breaststroke is the clearest individual swimming bet available, his world record stands and no Commonwealth competitor has come close in recent years.
Chad Le Clos (South Africa): South African icon Chad Le Clos needs one medal to become the outright most decorated male athlete in Commonwealth Games history. He currently has 18. Le Clos has won medals at every Games since 2010. Making it 19 in Glasgow, and writing himself into the record books, is one of the most compelling individual narratives of the entire event.
Australia's remaining swim squad: Cameron McEvoy, Zac Stubblety-Cook, Kyle Chalmers and Lani Pallister remain world-class despite the headline withdrawals. Australia will still be the strongest swimming nation, just less dominant than expected.
Matthew Richardson (Australia/England): There may be tension in the air at the velodrome if Australia come up against English defector Matthew Richardson in the men's sprint. The English-born cycling star who represents Australia adds a specific rivalry element to the track cycling programme.
Winners of the last two Commonwealth Games titles, Australia (2022) and England (2018), face off in what will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the pool phase. Birmingham 2022 medal-winners New Zealand and Jamaica are set for a repeat of their epic semi-final from four years ago.
The netball competition at Glasgow 2026 is the most complete team sport programme on offer, with eight of the world's top nations competing.
Australia (Diamonds): Defending champions. Kiera Austin is among the biggest scoring threats in world netball. The Diamonds have won six of the last eight Commonwealth Games netball titles.
England (Roses): Tchine is the latest England netball sharp-shooter handed the daunting task of wrestling the Commonwealth Games title back from old foes Australia. England won gold in 2018 at the Gold Coast in one of the great Commonwealth Games moments, this is their strongest realistic route back to the top.
New Zealand: Grace Nweke is one of the biggest scoring threats in world netball. The Silver Ferns are a credible semi-final and final contender.
Scotland: Scotland's encounters will undoubtedly spark the noisiest and most passionate atmosphere of the Games, especially when they take on world number two side New Zealand in their opening game. Scotland are unlikely to challenge for gold but their home support creates unpredictability in the group stage.
Final prediction: Australia vs England final. Australia to defend their title.
The Northern Ireland gymnast McClenaghan, 26, retained his title then clinched Olympic gold in Paris in pommel horse. Rhys McClenaghan, the three-time Olympic champion told us about his mission to win double gold at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
McClenaghan is the standout gymnastics name at Glasgow 2026. His pommel horse mastery at the Olympic level makes him the near-certainty for Commonwealth gold in that event, the question is whether his ambition for a second event is realistic.
Georgia Godwin (Australia): Georgia Godwin heads Australia's gymnastics challenge and is the primary threat to an English/northern nations sweep of the women's all-around.
Scotland's David Marshall, 59, is the five-time Commonwealth gold medallist and Scotland's most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete. He won his first medal in Manchester in 2002 and his most recent in Birmingham four years ago.
At 59, Marshall represents one of sport's most extraordinary longevity stories. In Glasgow, on home soil, competing for what may be his final Games, he is the emotional centrepiece of the bowls competition regardless of result.
Bowls at Glasgow 2026 is staged in an indoor format for the first time at a Commonwealth Games.
There may be tension at the velodrome if Australia come up against English defector Matthew Richardson in the men's sprint; the semi-finals and final in that event are on 2 August.
Team Scotland's five-time Commonwealth gold medallist Neil Fachie rides both men's tandem events in what he has confirmed will be the last races of his career. A farewell gold for Fachie in his home city would be one of the defining individual moments of the programme.
Kadeena Cox is one of Great Britain's highest-profile para athletes, having won titles in both athletics and para track cycling at Rio 2016. She will seek a maiden Commonwealth honour with Team England at Glasgow 2026.
| Position | Nation | Gold (Predicted) | Key Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1st | Australia | ~52-58 | Swimming (reduced), netball, athletics, cycling, boxing |
| 🥈 2nd | England | ~40-48 | Swimming, athletics sprints, cycling, netball |
| 🥉 3rd | Scotland (Host) | ~18-24 | Mile, bowls, cycling, home crowd benefit |
| 4th | Canada | ~20-26 | Athletics, swimming, boxing, cycling |
| 5th | India | ~15-22 | Boxing, weightlifting, athletics (Neeraj Chopra) |
| Bet | Selection | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Mile Winner | Josh Kerr | World record holder, home Games, runs in Glasgow, the clearest gold medal bet of the event |
| Swimming | Adam Peaty (100m breaststroke) | World record holder, no credible Commonwealth rival, two events available |
| Historical record | Chad Le Clos (to medal) | Needs 1 medal for outright record at CG, has won at every Games since 2010 |
| Netball Gold | Australia | Defending champions, deeper squad, six of last eight Commonwealth gold medals |
| Medal Table | Australia to top | Every Games since 1990, McKeown absence narrowing the gap but insufficient to stop them |
| Home crowd pick | Scotland top 5 medal table | Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, Neil Fachie farewell, David Marshall, bowls depth, home crowd energy |
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When and where are the 2026 Commonwealth Games? July 23 – August 2, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. 11 days of competition, 10 sports, 215 gold medals. First fully indoor opening ceremony in Commonwealth Games history.
Who is favoured to top the medal table? Australia, as they have been at every Commonwealth Games since 1990. Won 67 golds in Birmingham 2022. Favourites despite Kaylee McKeown's late withdrawal.
How many sports are in Glasgow 2026? 10 sports with integrated para events: athletics, swimming, gymnastics, track cycling, boxing, judo, bowls, netball, weightlifting, and 3×3 basketball.
Who is Josh Kerr? Scotland's 28-year-old world mile record holder, two-time Olympic medallist, competing at his home Games. Just broke the world mile record (3:42.66) the week before Glasgow. Overwhelming favourite for mile gold.
Why did Kaylee McKeown withdraw? Glandular fever. The Australian swim star's withdrawal is the biggest pre-Games absence, opening gold medal opportunities in her backstroke events to England, Canada, and other nations.
Is the mile race back at the Commonwealth Games? Yes, for the first time in 60 years. Men's and women's mile finals on August 1. The men's race (Kerr vs Wightman vs Cameron Myers) is the most anticipated moment of the entire programme.
