The World Athletics Championship is the world’s biggest annual track and field event, deciding the world’s best athletes in various events. It is organised by the sport’s governing body, World Athletics (formerly International Association of Athletics Federations). The championships are held every two years, unlike the Olympic Games which occur every four years.
The first World Championships were held in 1976, after the IAAF’s council agreed to launch a separate event to the Olympics. The new championships took place a month and a half after the Olympics, and were based in Helsinki, Finland.
Over the decades, the championships have seen many new world records established. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt is the most successful athlete in terms of breaking multiple world records at the championships, with five medals. The next most successful athlete is American Carl Lewis, who broke three world records at the championships.
This year’s championships are taking place in Tokyo, Japan, from 13 to 21 September. The organisers have opted to move races’ start times because of high temperatures, which are expected to peak at 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
Athletes competing at the 2025 World Athletics Championships will face a lot of stairs, especially between the media centre and the stadium itself, which will make it very hard for anyone with knee injuries. It’s also a very loud environment and you will have to be in good physical shape to handle it, even without the added pressure of being a world-class athlete.