In a year already plagued by event cancellations, the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Development Meet has officially been scratched from the 2026 athletics calendar. The abrupt announcement came Thursday, adding to a growing list of setbacks for the Jamaican track and field community.
The brief message from the organisers cited no specific reason, simply stating, “We regret to inform the public that the 2026 staging of the Queen’s Grace Jackson Meet has been cancelled. We understand the disappointment and appreciate your patience as we look ahead to 2027 with renewed vision.”
The meet, a mainstay in the development circuit since its launch in 2002, has long served as a proving ground for emerging talent. Named after Olympic silver medalist Grace Jackson—one of Jamaica’s most decorated sprinters—the event was also a nod to the Queen’s High alumna’s historic impact on the sport, particularly her instrumental role in her school’s lone Girls Champs title back in 1979.
Its cancellation now raises deeper concerns about the stability and support systems around early-season athletics in Jamaica. The Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet joins a string of cancelled events including the Western Relays, which was due to take place on February 14, and the high-profile Racers Grand Prix, both derailed by logistical or funding challenges. Even the Central Hurdles Relays, initially called off due to facility upgrades, was only salvaged after news emerged that resurfacing work at GC Foster College had been delayed.
With multiple pillars of the athletic calendar collapsing, the pressure mounts on organisers, sponsors, and governing bodies to find stability—or risk compromising the pipeline that feeds Jamaica’s global sprint dominance.
