(Photo Stewardesign)
World Athletics has outlined a landmark strategic roadmap for the future of distance running with the creation of a World Athletics Marathon Championships from 2030.
The marathon will remain a discipline at the World Athletics Championships in 2027 and 2029, but from 2030 it will move to its own standalone championships. From 2031 onwards, the marathon – or any other road running distance – will no longer form part of the World Athletics Championships.
Having achieved Elite Label status, Athens is targeting a Platinum Label – the highest tier in road racing – by 2029, placing it alongside the world’s most elite marathons.
The World Marathon Championships will become an annual event, with men and women competing in alternate years – the same frequency as the current World Championships marathon. It is a championship conceived in close partnership with those who have made the marathon the global phenomenon it is today, with full details of those partnerships to be announced in the coming months.
The World Athletics Road Running Championships will continue to take place as a separate annual event.
As part of this new direction, World Athletics has confirmed the opening of formal exploratory discussions for Athens to host the inaugural World Athletics Marathon Championships in 2030.
World Athletics and the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), with the cooperation of the Region of Attica, have also agreed a strategic partnership to elevate the Athens Marathon The Authentic to the highest tier of global road racing.
The race has been awarded Elite Label status, recognising its unique place in sporting history and its long-term potential within the international calendar.
This partnership marks the beginning of an ambitious multi-year investment programme designed to modernise the original Olympic course while preserving its 2500-year heritage.
“We are delighted to be exploring the possibility of a standalone World Marathon Championships with Athens – the place where this iconic discipline was born,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe.
“Few events in sport carry the weight and resonance of the marathon; it is both a test of the very highest performance and a celebration of mass participation. This is an opportunity to create a dedicated global celebration of marathon running, held in a setting that honours its heritage while shaping a modern championship that reflects the scale and spirit of the global running community,” added Coe.
As part of its transition to a global-tier event, the Athens Marathon – which will be held this year on 8 November – is aligning its registration structure with World Athletics’ Elite standards. This investment supports the expanded medical, safety and participant services required for its new status.
