World Athletics has decided that the marathon is just too special to share a stage with people throwing heavy sticks or jumping into sandpits. Starting in 2030, the marathon is moving out of the big house and getting its own bachelor pad. They are calling it the World Athletics Marathon Championships, and naturally, they want to host the housewarming party in Athens.
It is a bold move to tell every other track and field athlete that they are no longer invited to the road running party. After 2031, if you want to run a marathon at the standard World Championships, you are out of luck. You will have to pack your short shorts and head to a completely different city.
Back to the Beginning
Athens is currently the favourite to host the first solo show. This makes sense because the Greeks basically invented the idea of running until you drop. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe calls it the spiritual home of the race. It is a lovely sentiment, though I suspect the original Greek messenger might have preferred a bus.
To make things official, the Athens Marathon The Authentic just got Elite Label status. This is the running world’s version of a Michelin star, but with more sweat and fewer carbs. They plan to spend a lot of money modernising the 2500 year old course. One can only hope that modernisation includes some decent air conditioning along the route.
Men One Year, Women the Next
In a move that will surely spark some lively debates at the pub, the new championship will be an annual event, but the genders have to take turns. Men will run one year and women the next. It is like a very long, very tiring custody battle for the trophy.
This new roadmap is supposed to make the sport a global phenomenon. World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon thinks bringing the showcase back to where it all began is a stroke of genius. It certainly beats holding it in a car park in the suburbs. By separating the marathon from the main championships, they hope to drive more traffic and eyeballs toward the people who enjoy three hours of self inflicted calf cramps.
The Great Road Split
The World Athletics Road Running Championships will still exist as its own separate thing. This means we are reaching a point where there are more running championships than there are days in the week. If you are a professional runner, you better keep your passport handy and your foam roller closer.
Athens gets to celebrate its heritage while the rest of us wonder why anyone would run 26.2 miles for fun, let alone for a championship. It is a massive play to turn distance running into a standalone spectacle. Whether fans will flock to a city just to watch people run away from them for two hours remains to be seen.
If you enjoy watching people reach the absolute limit of human endurance while wearing neon vests, 2030 is going to be your year. Just don’t expect to see any pole vaulters there.
Do you think the marathon is big enough to survive on its own, or is this just a way to sell more Greek olive oil to tourists?
Related topics: Athletics
