Imago
Credits – X / @DailyMailUK
Imago
Credits – X / @DailyMailUK
Every two years, marathon fans around the world gather for one of distance running’s great traditions, a championship that’s tested the sport’s best since 1991. The drama has only grown in recent editions, none more thrilling than the 2025 World Athletics Championships, where Alphonce Felix Simbu edged Amanal Petros in a photo finish for the ages. But just as fans were gearing up for the next chapter, World Athletics dropped a bombshell, and one that fans don’t quite agree with.
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According to the announcement, beginning in 2030, the marathon will become a standalone World Championship, separate from the main World Athletics Championships. The event will still feature in 2027 and 2029, but from 2031 onward, the men’s and women’s races will alternate each year, effectively turning the World Marathon Championship into an annual showcase. World Athletics is already in talks with Athens to host the first edition of the new event.
“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.
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From 2031 onwards, the marathon and all other road running events will no longer be part of the World Athletics Championships. The World Marathon Championships will instead become an annual event, with men and women competing in alternate years, following the same championship rhythm.
The event will take place in Athens, fittingly, where the modern competitive marathon began at the 1896 Olympic Games. World Athletics developed the new format in partnership with key figures in the sport and will announce more details about those collaborations soon.
Kolejna "innowacja" od World Athletics – od 2030 będą rozgrywane mistrzostwa świata w maratonie, co oznacza wykreślenie tej konkurencji z programu "głównych" mistrzostw globu (od 2031 roku).
Usunięcie z programu mś konkurencji z taką tradycją jest mocno kontrowersyjne. https://t.co/2G2fuQSkBn
— Athletics News (@Nedops) April 7, 2026
“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,” Coe said.
World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon also added, “Athens is its spiritual home… This roadmap ensures the event meets the rigorous technical and operational standards required for the world’s most prestigious stage.”
Interestingly, the Athens Marathon, scheduled for 8 November, already aligns its registration and operations with World Athletics’ elite standards. While the move enhances the marathon’s global significance, many fans remain less enthusiastic, arguing that World Athletics has disrupted the familiar rhythm of the championships.
Fans clash over the World Athletics Marathon Championships’ future
One fan wrote, “Why not add a marathon to the World Street Running Championships and at the same time leave it in the classic World Championships? I believe that this decision will not increase the popularity of the marathon.”
Another added, “So one of the key events from the ancient Olympics is not even able to exist in the world champs anymore? Why not have it occur in both?”
And these concerns are understandable. Because the World Athletics Road Running Championships will continue as a separate competition for shorter distances, such as the half-marathon, 5 km, and road mile, with the next edition scheduled in 2026 in Copenhagen. Fans argue that, instead of removing the marathon from the main World Championships after 2029, it could remain there while also being part of the new standalone marathon or street-running events.
One more fan added, “I don’t get this at all. Doesn’t this make hosting the World Championships less desirable for host cities in return for a stand-alone event that will matter very little globally?” One more added, “Congratulations for this stupid idea.”
By removing the marathon from the main championships, World Athletics breaks a long-standing tradition. The split into separate formats potentially weakens the prestige of the world title. The marathon has featured in every edition of the World Athletics Championships since 1983, with both men’s and women’s races included each time. The event originally took place every four years, before the championships adopted a biennial schedule in 1991.
But at the same time, some fans see a silver lining. One wrote, “This means best athletes in marathon will come back. Well done.” Indeed, the field for upcoming marathon championships might be great.
And we might soon see, Alphonce Felix Simbu, who is the reigning World Champion from 2025, Amanal Petros, the 2025 silver medalist and Iliass Aouani the bronze medalist, likely to return. On the women’s side, Ruth Chepngetich could make a potential return after serving a three-year ban for testing positive for a banned diuretic in 2025.
With this mix of tradition, controversy, and elite talent, the marathon’s next chapter might be as compelling as any race we’ve seen before.
