Marathon out of the World Championships in Athletics

The men qualified for the marathon at the World Championships in Tokyo in September 2025. The sport is still part of the World Athletics Championships program in 2027 and 2029. Picture: Franck Robichon / EPA / All Over Press

Marathon withdraws from the program of the World Athletics Championships after 2029, International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics report.

Starting in 2030, it will be replaced by the annual marathon’s own World Cup event, where men and women compete in alternating years.

“This is an opportunity to create a global celebration of marathon running dedicated to the sport,” the president of World Athletics Sebastian Coe explains in the announcement.

The first games are planned to be held in Athens. World Athletics says it has started discussions about organizing the games in the Greek capital.

Athens was chosen as the venue for the first World Championships because the marathon originated in Greece.

Change can also affect Finland’s star runner when he enters the force Alisa Vainiowhich has been in a frenzy lately. Vainio was a sensational Fifth in the marathon at the fall World Championships and has since broken the Finnish marathon women’s record twice.

Vainio is now 28 years old. He will be 33 years old in the year of the organization of the first marathon WC event.