The World Athletics Championships is the pinnacle of track and field competition, bringing together more than 2,000 athletes from approximately 200 nations to contest 49 events across sprints, distance running, jumps, throws, combined events, race walks, and road races. Held biennially since 1991 and organised by World Athletics, the Championships rank alongside the Olympic Games as the most important event in the sport.
What is the World Athletics Championships?
The World Athletics Championships is the global championship for track and field athletics. First held in Helsinki in 1983, the event was initially staged every four years before switching to a biennial cycle from 1991 onwards. It is the flagship competition of World Athletics (formerly the IAAF) and serves as the sport’s standalone world title event, separate from the Olympic Games.
The programme covers the full spectrum of athletics disciplines: sprints from 100m to 400m, middle distance (800m and 1500m), long distance (5,000m and 10,000m), steeplechase, hurdles, relays, marathon, race walks, high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer throw, and the combined events (decathlon and heptathlon). A total of 49 gold medals are awarded across the men’s, women’s, and mixed relay events.
When is the World Athletics Championships?
The most recent edition was held in Tokyo, Japan, from 13 to 21 September 2025. The Championships typically take place in the late summer months, with nine days of competition split into morning qualifying sessions and evening finals sessions.
Looking ahead, World Athletics has introduced the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, a three-day elite event scheduled for 11 to 13 September 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. The next regular World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing, China, from 11 to 19 September 2027.
Where is the World Athletics Championships?
The Championships rotate between host cities worldwide. The 2025 edition was held at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo, the 68,000-capacity venue rebuilt for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The stadium is located in Shinjuku, central Tokyo, and is well served by public transport.
Previous host cities include Budapest (2023), Eugene (2022), Doha (2019), London (2017), Beijing (2015), Moscow (2013), Daegu (2011), and Berlin (2009). The 2027 edition returns to Beijing’s National Stadium, which also hosted the 2008 Olympics and 2015 World Championships.
Key Contenders
The Tokyo 2025 Championships produced some of the most memorable performances in the event’s history. Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis set a world record of 6.30m in the pole vault, having broken his own world record four times during the 2025 season alone. He remains the undisputed king of the event and the sport’s biggest draw.
American sprinter Noah Lyles won gold in both the 100m and 200m, plus bronze in the 4x100m relay. His four consecutive 200m world titles put him alongside Usain Bolt as the only men in history to achieve the feat. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States completed a sprint treble (100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay), becoming only the second woman after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to do so at a single World Championships.
Other standout performers included Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, who won the men’s 400m, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, whose 400m time of 47.78 seconds was the second fastest in history. Jamaica’s Oblique Seville took the 100m title, ending a nine-year drought in major men’s sprint titles for the Caribbean nation.
For the 2027 edition in Beijing, all eyes will be on whether Duplantis can extend his dominance, and whether a new generation of sprinters can challenge the established order heading into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
How to Watch the World Athletics Championships
The World Athletics Championships attracts extensive global broadcast coverage. For the Tokyo 2025 edition, the following broadcasters held rights:
United Kingdom: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer provided free-to-air coverage, supplemented by TNT Sports.
United States: NBC, Peacock, CNBC, and USA Network shared coverage, with most finals airing between 08:30 and 09:30 ET due to the time difference with Tokyo.
Australia: SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
Europe: Extensive free-to-air coverage across 41 EBU member broadcasters, including France Televisions, ARD/ZDF (Germany), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), and RAI (Italy). The EBU digital platform eurovisionsport.com also provided streaming.
Canada: CBC Sports and Radio-Canada.
Japan: TBS served as host broadcaster for the Tokyo edition.
Broadcast arrangements for the 2027 Beijing edition will be confirmed closer to the event. World Athletics typically announces its global broadcast partners around 12 months before the Championships.
History and Records
The World Athletics Championships began in 1983 in Helsinki, Finland, with the inaugural edition featuring 1,355 athletes from 153 countries. Carl Lewis of the United States was one of the early stars, winning the 100m, long jump, and anchoring the 4x100m relay to gold.
The United States leads the all-time medal table by a considerable margin. At Tokyo 2025, the Americans topped the standings with 308 points, more than double Kenya’s 118 in second place. A record 53 nations won medals in Tokyo, surpassing the previous mark of 46 set at Osaka in 2007.
The Championships have produced some of the sport’s most iconic moments. Usain Bolt holds the record for the most world records set at the event (four), while the competition has witnessed 37 world records in total: 19 by men, 15 by women, and three in mixed relay events. Notable Championship records include Bolt’s 9.58 seconds for 100m (set at the 2009 Berlin World Championships, which remains the world record), and Duplantis’s 6.30m pole vault from Tokyo 2025.
The event has grown substantially from its origins. The Tokyo 2025 edition featured more than 2,000 athletes from approximately 200 member federations, with 700,000 tickets available to spectators.
Tickets and Attendance
Ticket arrangements vary by host city. For the Tokyo 2025 edition, 700,000 tickets were available, with 70 per cent priced at 10,000 JPY (approximately 65 USD) or less. Special promotional tickets were offered at 2,025 JPY (approximately 13 USD) per session, and premium evening session seats reached 50,000 JPY (approximately 323 USD).
Tickets are sold through the official World Athletics website and authorised ticketing partners. Given the event’s popularity, early booking is recommended, particularly for evening sessions featuring marquee finals. Hospitality packages are typically available through World Athletics’ commercial partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next World Athletics Championships?
The next regular World Athletics Championships will be held in Beijing, China, from 11 to 19 September 2027. In 2026, the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship takes place in Budapest, Hungary, from 11 to 13 September.
Where was the last World Athletics Championships held?
The most recent edition was held at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo from 13 to 21 September 2025.
How can I watch the World Athletics Championships?
Coverage is available globally. In the UK, the BBC typically provides free-to-air coverage. In the US, NBC and Peacock hold the rights. Across Europe, EBU member broadcasters offer extensive coverage. Check World Athletics’ official website for confirmed broadcast partners closer to the event.
Who won the most medals at the World Athletics Championships?
The United States leads the all-time medal table. Among individual athletes, Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce are among the most decorated competitors in Championship history.
How many events are contested at the World Athletics Championships?
A total of 49 events are contested across men’s, women’s, and mixed relay disciplines, covering sprints, distance running, hurdles, jumps, throws, combined events, race walks, and road races.