World Athletics Road Running Championships

{{Short description|Biennial international road running competition}}

The World Athletics Road Running Championships is a biennial international road running competition organised by World Athletics. The competition was launched as the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and held annually until 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iaaf.org/hosting/timeline|title=Candidature process {{!}} Hosting {{!}} iaaf.org|website=www.iaaf.org|access-date=2019-04-02}} It was renamed the IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2006 and reduced in distance to a 20K run, but reverted to the half marathon distance the following year and to the original competition name the year after that. The competition was renamed to its current title in 2020 after the governing body rebranded itself moving away from the long-standing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) moniker and expanded to include additional races. https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-road-running-championships-la

The competition replaced the female-only IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships, which was held annually from 1983 to 1991.

The last Championships was held in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/competition-updates-225th-world-athletics-council-meeting|title=Riga, Guangzhou and Muscat to host World Athletics Series events | PRESS-RELEASES | World Athletics|website=worldathletics.org}}

Editions

;Key:

{{legend|#F2F5A9|Editions in gold were held as World Road Running Championships|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}}

{{legend|#FFA500|Edition in orange denotes introduction of biennial World Athletics Half Marathon Championships|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}}

class="wikitable"
Year ! Edition ! Venue ! Country ! Date ! No. of athletes{{efn\|Does not include entered athletes who never started.}} ! No. of nations
1992 \| 1st \| Tyneside \| United Kingdom \| 19–20 September \| 204	36
1993 \| 2nd \| Brussels \| Belgium \| 3 October \| 254	49
1994 \| 3rd \| Oslo \| Norway \| 24 September \| 214	48
1995 \| 4th \| Montbéliard–Belfort \| France \| 1 October \| 243	54
1996 \| 5th \| Palma de Mallorca \| Spain \| 29 September \| 206	53
1997 \| 6th \| Košice \| Slovakia \| 4 October \| 226	45
1998 \| 7th \| Uster \| Switzerland \| 27 September \| 236	54
1999 \| 8th \| Palermo \| Italy \| 3 October \| 192	48
2000 \| 9th \| Veracruz \| Mexico \| 12 November \| 182	52
2001 \| 10th \| Bristol \| United Kingdom \| 7 October \| 200	52
2002 \| 11th \| Brussels \| Belgium \| 5 May \| 198	60
2003 \| 12th \| Vilamoura \| Portugal \| 4 October \| 171	49
2004 \| 13th \| New Delhi \| India \| 3 October \| 152	55
2005 \| 14th \| Edmonton \| Canada \| 1 October \| 156	43
bgcolor=#F2F5A9 \| 2006 \| 15th \| Debrecen \| Hungary \| 8 October \| 140	39 (20 km race)
bgcolor=#F2F5A9 \| 2007 \| 16th \| Udine \| Italy \| 14 October \| 144	37
2008 \| 17th \| Rio de Janeiro \| Brazil \| 12 October \| 155	42
2009 \| 18th \| Birmingham \| United Kingdom \| 11 October \| 157	39
2010 \| 19th \| Nanning \| China \| 16 October \| 123	30
bgcolor=#FFA500 \| 2012 \| 20th \| Kavarna[http://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/iaaf-chooses-kavarna-bulgaria-to-host-2012-wo IAAF Chooses Kavarna, Bulgaria, to host 2012 World Half Marathon Championships]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08. \| Bulgaria \| 6 October \| 146	41
2014 \| 21st \| Copenhagen[http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/host-cities-for-2014-iaaf-world-athletics-ser Host cities for 2014 IAAF World Athletics Series are decided]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-13. \| Denmark \| 29 March \| 203	56
2016 \| 22nd \| Cardiff \| United Kingdom \| 26 March \| 169	45
2018 \| 23rd \| Valencia \| Spain \| 24 March \| 279	79 + ART
2020 \| 24th \| Gdynia \| Poland \| 17 October \| 225	53 + ART
{{s\|2022}} \| {{s\|25th}} \| {{s\|Yangzhou}} \| {{s\|China}} \| {{s\|{{dts\|2022.11.13\|format=dm}}}} \|align="center" colspan=2\| cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2023 \| 25th \| Riga \| Latvia \| 1 October \| 347 \| 56 + ART{{cite web\|title=ATHLETES by COUNTRY\|url=https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018e00d035e783b52d97d1.pdf?_gl=11lqvzkd_gaMTk4OTY2NTIyMi4xNTkzODkzMjc1_ga_7FE9YV46NW*MTY5NDc4OTExNC43MC4xLjE2OTQ3ODkxNDUuMC4wLjA.\|publisher=World Athletics\|date=13 September 2023\|access-date=15 September 2023}}
2025 \| 26th \| {{s\|San Diego}}"[https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-road-running-championships-2025-moved-from-san-diego World Athletics Road Running Championships 2025 to be moved from San Diego]", World Athletics, 5 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025. \| United States \| 26–28 September

class="wikitable"

Year

! Edition

! Venue

! Country

! Date

! No. of athletes{{efn|Does not include entered athletes who never started.}}

! No. of nations

1992

| 1st

| Tyneside

| United Kingdom

| 19–20 September

| 204

1993

| 2nd

| Brussels

| Belgium

| 3 October

| 254

1994

| 3rd

| Oslo

| Norway

| 24 September

| 214

1995

| 4th

| Montbéliard–Belfort

| France

| 1 October

| 243

1996

| 5th

| Palma de Mallorca

| Spain

| 29 September

| 206

1997

| 6th

| Košice

| Slovakia

| 4 October

| 226

1998

| 7th

| Uster

| Switzerland

| 27 September

| 236

1999

| 8th

| Palermo

| Italy

| 3 October

| 192

2000

| 9th

| Veracruz

| Mexico

| 12 November

| 182

2001

| 10th

| Bristol

| United Kingdom

| 7 October

| 200

2002

| 11th

| Brussels

| Belgium

| 5 May

| 198

2003

| 12th

| Vilamoura

| Portugal

| 4 October

| 171

2004

| 13th

| New Delhi

| India

| 3 October

| 152

2005

| 14th

| Edmonton

| Canada

| 1 October

| 156

bgcolor=#F2F5A9

| 2006

| 15th

| Debrecen

| Hungary

| 8 October

| 140

39 (20 km race)

bgcolor=#F2F5A9

| 2007

| 16th

| Udine

| Italy

| 14 October

| 144

2008

| 17th

| Rio de Janeiro

| Brazil

| 12 October

| 155

2009

| 18th

| Birmingham

| United Kingdom

| 11 October

| 157

2010

| 19th

| Nanning

| China

| 16 October

| 123

bgcolor=#FFA500

| 2012

| 20th

| Kavarna[http://www.iaaf.org/news/iaaf-news/iaaf-chooses-kavarna-bulgaria-to-host-2012-wo IAAF Chooses Kavarna, Bulgaria, to host 2012 World Half Marathon Championships]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-08-08.

| Bulgaria

| 6 October

| 146

2014

| 21st

| Copenhagen[http://www.iaaf.org/news/press-release/host-cities-for-2014-iaaf-world-athletics-ser Host cities for 2014 IAAF World Athletics Series are decided]. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-13.

| Denmark

| 29 March

| 203

2016

| 22nd

| Cardiff

| United Kingdom

| 26 March

| 169

2018

| 23rd

| Valencia

| Spain

| 24 March

| 279

79 + ART

2020

| 24th

| Gdynia

| Poland

| 17 October

| 225

53 + ART

| {{s|25th}}

| {{s|Yangzhou}}

| {{s|China}}

| {{s|{{dts|2022.11.13|format=dm}}}}

|align="center" colspan=2| cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

2023

| 25th

| Riga

| Latvia

| 1 October

| 347

| 56 + ART{{cite web|title=ATHLETES by COUNTRY|url=https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/65018e00d035e783b52d97d1.pdf?_gl=1*1lqvzkd*_ga*MTk4OTY2NTIyMi4xNTkzODkzMjc1*_ga_7FE9YV46NW*MTY5NDc4OTExNC43MC4xLjE2OTQ3ODkxNDUuMC4wLjA.|publisher=World Athletics|date=13 September 2023|access-date=15 September 2023}}

2025

| 26th

| {{s|San Diego}}"[https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/world-athletics-road-running-championships-2025-moved-from-san-diego World Athletics Road Running Championships 2025 to be moved from San Diego]", World Athletics, 5 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.

| United States

| 26–28 September

History

The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was first held in 1992. It comprised three races: the men's race, the women's race and the junior men's race. Furthermore, a team competition was held in each category, with the winners being decided by combining the performances of a country's top three finishers. The country with the lowest aggregate time won the team competition. The junior men's race was held in only the first and second editions, and was removed from the programme from 1994 onwards.

The competition went largely unchanged until 2006, when the competition was renamed as the IAAF World Road Running Championships. Aside from the name change, the significant difference was the distance of the race, changing from a half marathon to a 20 kilometres road race. The 20 km race featured only at the 2006 edition, and the half marathon distance returned for the 2007 World Road Running Championships.

On 29 November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the competition would revert to its original title of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, beginning with the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20140401195135/http://www.iaaf.net/news/Kind=512/newsId=42537.html Rio 2008 – championships renamed]}}. IAAF. 2007-11-29{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140407142636/http://www.iaaf.net/WRU08/index.html IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday 12 October 2008]}}, IAAF, Retrieved 2008-02-06

This competition is not to be confused with the IAAF World Women's Road Race Championships which were run from 1983 to 1991, or the IAAF World Road Relay Championships which took place between 1992 and 1998.

The 2020 edition of the competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-half-marathon-championships/news/world-half-marathon-championships-gdynia-post|title = Yangzhou22 | WHM 22 | World Athletics}} Although it was held later that year, many countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.S., declined to participate.{{r|2022.postponement.2}}

Similarly, the 2022 edition of the competition was postponed twice before being cancelled due to the pandemic.{{r|2022.cancellation|2022.postponement.1|2022.postponement.2}} As a result of the cancellation, the World Athletics Council decided to award the 2027 World Athletics Road Running Championships to Yangzhou, the city originally scheduled to host the 2022 competition.{{r|2022.cancellation}}

Competition format

The competition is generally held every October. Runners compete on public roads which have been closed off to traffic specifically for the event. Prize money varies from US$30,000 to US$3000.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Records

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; width: 95%;" \|+World Half Marathon Championships records
Type !Time !Athlete(s) !Nationality !Edition
Men's race \|58:49 \|Jacob Kiplimo \|{{flagu\|Uganda}} \|2020
Women's race \|1:05:16 WR {{AthAbbr\|Wo}} \|Peres Jepchirchir \|{{flagu\|Kenya}} \|2020
Men's team \|2:58:10 \|Kibiwott Kandie (58:54) Leonard Barsoton (59:34) Benard Kimeli (59:42) \|{{flagu\|Kenya}} \|2020
Women's team \|3:16:39 \|Yalemzerf Yehualaw (1:05:19) Zeineba Yimer (1:05:39) Ababel Yeshaneh (1:05:41) \|{{flagu\|Ethiopia}} \|2020

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; width: 95%;"

|+World Half Marathon Championships records

Type

!Time

!Athlete(s)

!Nationality

!Edition

Men's race

|58:49

|Jacob Kiplimo

|{{flagu|Uganda}}

|2020

Women's race

|1:05:16
WR {{AthAbbr|Wo}}

|Peres Jepchirchir

|{{flagu|Kenya}}

|2020

Men's team

|2:58:10

|Kibiwott Kandie (58:54)
Leonard Barsoton (59:34)
Benard Kimeli (59:42)

|{{flagu|Kenya}}

|2020

Women's team

|3:16:39

|Yalemzerf Yehualaw (1:05:19)
Zeineba Yimer (1:05:39)
Ababel Yeshaneh (1:05:41)

|{{flagu|Ethiopia}}

|2020

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; width: 95%;" \|+World Road Running Championships records
Type !Time !Athlete(s) !Nationality !Edition
Men's race \|58:59 \|Zersenay Tadese \|{{ERI}} \|2007
Women's race \|1:06:25 \|Lornah Kiplagat \|{{NED}} \|2007
Men's team \|2:58:54 \|Patrick Makau Musyoki Evans Cheruiyot Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba \|{{KEN}} \|2007
Women's team \|3:23:33 \|Mary Jepkosgei Keitany Pamela Chepchumba Everline Kimwei \|{{KEN}} \|2007

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; width: 95%;"

|+World Road Running Championships records

Type

!Time

!Athlete(s)

!Nationality

!Edition

Men's race

|58:59

|Zersenay Tadese

|{{ERI}}

|2007

Women's race

|1:06:25

|Lornah Kiplagat

|{{NED}}

|2007

Men's team

|2:58:54

|Patrick Makau Musyoki
Evans Cheruiyot
Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba

|{{KEN}}

|2007

Women's team

|3:23:33

|Mary Jepkosgei Keitany
Pamela Chepchumba
Everline Kimwei

|{{KEN}}

|2007

Medalists

;Key

{{legend|#F2F5A9|Medallists in gold won at the World Road Running Championships|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}}

=Men=

==Half marathon==

1992

| {{flagathlete|Benson Masya|KEN}}