World Athletics has announced a significant restructuring: starting in 2030, the marathon and other long-distance road races will no longer be part of the traditional World Athletics Championships. Instead, a new, standalone annual event, the “World Athletics Marathon Championships,” will be established. This new championship will feature men’s and women’s competitions held in alternating years.
The 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2029 edition will be the last to include the marathon on their program. The inaugural World Athletics Marathon Championships are slated for 2030, with a planned host city of Athens, a symbolic choice given the discipline’s origin there over 2,500 years ago. It’s important to note that the World Athletics Road Running Championships will continue to exist as a separate annual event.
Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics, explained the rationale behind this move, stating that it aims to “create a global celebration dedicated to the marathon.” He expressed enthusiasm for a framework that “honors its heritage while shaping a modern championship that reflects the scale and spirit of the global running community.”