Bradley Wiggins Shortlisted for 2026 William Hill Sports Book Award
The Chain joins books by Mary Cain, Sophie Power, William Ralston and Neil Squires in contention for prestigious £25,000 prize
England.- October 30, 2026 www.zonadeazar.com Sir Bradley Wiggins is among five shortlisted nominees for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2026, with The Chain in contention for the world’s longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize.
Wiggins’ book is shortlisted alongside This Is Not About Running by Mary Cain and The Power Within by Sophie Power. William Ralston’s The Impossible Job and Neil Squires’ The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids complete the shortlist for the 38th edition of the award.
Selected from a 12-strong longlist, the five titles reflect the breadth of this year’s entries, exploring sport through personal experience, resilience and the challenges of competition.
The winner will be announced at the official awards ceremony on Tuesday 24th November, receiving £25,000 and the coveted William Hill Sports Book of the Year trophy. The other shortlisted authors will each receive £2,500 and a leather-bound copy of their book.
This year’s judging panel comprises Adrian Durham, Elis James, Mark Lawson, Christine Ohuruogu and Michelle Walder. Having narrowed the longlist to five titles, the panel will now select the book that follows last year’s winner, The Escape: The Tour, the Cyclist and Me by Pippa York and David Walsh.
Neil Foggin, Media Manager at William Hill, and a member of the reading panel, said: “This is an extremely strong shortlist, with a real range of sports covered. It’s certainly the first time a book on Finnish skittles has featured!
“All five books are superbly written and worthy contenders for the 2026 award. They display the power of sport to challenge, enthral and captivate, as well as the sacrifice that often comes with elite level competition.
“We wish all shortlisted nominees the very best of luck and look forward to crowning the winner on the 24th of November. It’s now over to our judging panel who have the hugely difficult task of choosing a winner.”
Nick Hornby, Duncan Hamilton, Michael Holding, Jeremy Wilson and Lauren Fleshman are just some of the names to appear on an esteemed list of past winners for an award that has recognised outstanding sports writing since 1989.
2026 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award shortlist:
- The Chain by Sir Bradley Wiggins
- This Is Not About Running by Mary Cain
- The Power Within by Sophie Power
- The Impossible Job by William Ralston
- The Fall and Rise of the Mölkky Bar Kids by Neil Squires
About the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award
The William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award is the longest established and most valuable literary sports-writing prize in the world. First awarded in 1989, it aims to reward excellence in sports writing and provide recognition to authors who bring the world of sport to life through their work.
Edited by @pererarte www.zonadeazar.com
