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. 

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.

“The marathon is one of the most universal events in sport, and Athens is its spiritual home,” said World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon during a press conference in Athens on Tuesday (7). “Exploring the possibility of a future standalone World Marathon Championships here reflects our ambition to bring the sport’s greatest global showcase back to where it all began. This roadmap ensures the event meets the rigorous technical and operational standards required for the world’s most prestigious stage.”