A standalone World Marathon Championships launching in 2030 signals a structural shift in how World Athletics manages elite road racing — with implications for sponsorship, host city rights and brand investment in the fast-growing running category.
World Athletics has announced the creation of a standalone World Marathon Championships from 2030, with Athens emerging as preferred host for the inaugural edition. The marathon will remain a discipline at the World Athletics Championships in 2027 and 2029, but starting in 2030 it will have its own standalone championships.
The World Marathon Championships will become an annual event, the same frequency as the current World Championships marathon, with male and female athletes competing in alternate years. Full details of partners will be announced in the coming months. The World Athletics Road Running Championships will continue to take place as a separate annual event.
World Athletics has confirmed that it is officially beginning talks to explore hosting the first-ever World Athletics Marathon Championships in Athens in 2030. “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 the President of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe.
Additionally, World Athletics and the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), with the cooperation of the Region of Attica, have agreed a strategic partnership to elevate the Athens Marathon The Authentic to Elite Label status. Athens is targeting a Platinum Label, the highest tier in road racing, by 2029. The Athens Marathon will be held this year on November 8.
