The World Athletics Council has revealed at a meeting in Oregon that Tokyo, Japan is to host its 2025 World Athletics Championships.
The 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Medulin and Pula in Croatia and the 2026 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Tallahassee, Florida.
World Athletics President, Sebastian Coe, thanked all the cities who took the time and effort to prepare bids, showing their commitment to athletics. He reinforced the Council’s wish that all of them continue to discuss future opportunities to host World Athletics events.
“Within an extremely strong field of candidates to host the World Athletics Championships 2025, Tokyo offered a compelling bid,” he added. “I hope this will be a shining light for Japan as they celebrate 100 years of the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) in 2025, by bringing world-class athletics back to the people in Tokyo.”
In 2025, Tokyo will bring athletics fans to its Olympic stadium who were unable to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other candidates for the event included Nairobi, Silesia and Singapore, but Tokyo scored the highest of the four candidates in the bid evaluation in terms of: the potential for a powerful narrative; revenue generating opportunities for World Athletics; a destination that will enhance the international profile of the sport; and appropriate climate.
As the sport’s stars return to the venue for last year’s Olympic Games, the Japanese Association of Athletics Federations (JAAF) celebrates its centenary year.
JAAF President, Mitsugi Ogata, stated: “We are immensely proud that World Athletics has demonstrated its confidence and trust in Japan to host the 2025 World Athletics Championships. Together with World Athletics as one team, we will capitalise on this opportunity to showcase the best possible global event for growing our sport to a higher level.
“History has shown that we have the ability and energy to host the world’s top athletes and to inspire international audiences. We promise that the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo will be full of fans to become an unforgettable experience for the athletes and everyone involved.”
