World Athletics Cancels 2025 World Road Running Champs

This is horrible.

Held every year from 1992-2010 and then every two years since, a total of 25 times with only one cancellation (China in 2022 due to Covid). They have been held in such nations as Slovakia, Mexico, India, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, and Latvia.

And now we have our second cancellation in the past three events due to ... poor planning and preparation. San Diego, CA could not do what Riga, Latvia could.

I have a feeling this event may not be back next year.

Really sad. Also it makes it look like USATF and San Diego are pathetic. They treated this like just a fun run instead of a global championship.

edit: By the way, the masses races are sold out for Copenhagen 2026. They were able to sell out their races 18 months ahead of the event!

10,000 runners for One Mile, 20,000 for 5K, and 35,000 for Half Marathon

That is the numbers San Diego could have had if the US treated this event properly.

Wow that's really messed up news. I sincerely hope it comes back in time for the next re-iteration.

That's good news. I felt like this might have been the end of the series. I guess the problem is not WA, but rather ... (surprise!) ... USATF and San Diego.

Serious question. If a February Super Bowl was scheduled for a city that had an earthquake in September and rendered the stadium unsafe to play do we think the NFL will just cancel that your Super Bowl or would they figure out an alternative and deal with the logistics?

That highlights the level of competence between these entities. One would find a way and the other would throw up their hands and surrender.

Does anyone know why they cancel San Diego? I don't mean speculation but the confirmed reason.

When the earthquake hit San Francisco during the '89 World Series, the 49ers had a game scheduled for Candlestick Park a few days later. The game was played as scheduled at Stanford's stadium only a day after Stanford had played there. Candlestick was subsequently found to be OK and the 49ers resumed playing at home.

Great example. More recently, the Tampa Bay Rays didn't just need an alternative site for one game or series after Hurricane Milton damaged their stadium. They needed an alternative site for this entire year, and they got one.

imagine the runners who were planning their training/build and for some large parts of their season just for this event? Or runners like Maier and Roe who just made their first team USA except... NOT REALLY!

And you would be wrong. 2026 Copenhagen looks amazing. It will be Sept 19-20, 2026. They are looking at up to 65,000 competitors. They have started a lottery for the half-marathon for the 1st time ever as demand is big. All systems are a go as they have been preparing for it for years.

The problem with the US is they didn't tie it to an established race already. San Diego got sponsors but they mass signups were inadequate apparently.

Read these articles;

worldathletics.org

About the half marathon lottery | News | København 26 | World Athletics Road Running Championships

How to participate in the Half Marathon lottery for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

Open link

worldathletics.org

Largest ever: 65,000 runners can participate in the World Championships in Copenhagen | News | København 26 | World Athletics Road Running Championships

In September 2026, Copenhagen will be the stage for Denmark’s largest-ever participant event.

Open link

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1140104/copenhagen-enjoying-road-running-boom

webwire.com

See the courses for the WRRC Copenhagen 26

When the world elite arrives in Copenhagen to compete for gold in the half marathon, 5km and one mile distances, up to 65,000 runners will follow in their footsteps on flat, fast and festive courses that showcase the very bes...

Open link

I’m trying to remember the specific number but something like 500 total signups for the mass participation race. Which is baffling to me living here because it’s an extremely active town and they had a booth at every road race talking about Worlds

Will the 2026 championships also have the Masters division like San Diego was planning on having?

2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was originally awarded to China. In May 2003 (less than five months before the tournament), FINA announced they could not hold it in China because of SARS. A few weeks later, the US was announced as the new host and the tournament went on with roughly the same schedule.

And this is an event that included 32 total matches in six cities that were stretched over three weeks.

Another example of Max Siegel's complete incompetence.

The list of Area championships that have been pulled from American athletes is staggering. You would think the NGB for "The World's Best Track Team" could solve this.

Same for NACAC. Our area has not had an Area championships since I cant remember. You are telling me that USATF cant stage a track meet when another country's NGB fails?

Siegel has zero interest in American athletes.

But he's making bank from an organization that is leaking money.

So? The main event is the pro race. I don't see a reason to cancel that because of the mass participation race. If anything just cancel that and make it a pro race only.

That's wild, all the road races where I live are sold out with the boom of late. Was it really expensive? or a hard place to get to/bad time? Or just poorly advertised?

Yes, it's honestly frustrating. Running is in a boom right now. Plenty of cities, events, and so on that have excess demand for recreational runners who want to do them. When I heard San Diego, I was a bit confused why they didn't pick somewhere where I knew getting thousands of sign-ups would be a given. Just botched on all sides.

I currently live in San Diego and I could not agree more. I only knew that the WRRC was going to be held here because I'm on the WA emailing list. There was absolutely no promotion here whatsoever. I was gutted when they pulled the championship from San Diego since that was what I was planning my season around.

It does make the Asics "I'm training for the World Championships" t-shirt I bought a funny piece of running history