Ten reasons to be excited for 2024
As World Athletics reports, there are many things to look forward to in athletics this year.
There’ll be six global championships in 2024, with ever-expanding one-day meeting circuits spread throughout the year. Rivalries will be renewed, and record-breakers will continue to push boundaries in their respective disciplines.
Here are ten reasons to be excited by what’s coming over the next 12 months.
1. Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Athletics is the No.1 sport in what will be the biggest event on the planet this year. One hundred years after Paris last hosted the Games, the Olympics will return to the French capital, where 2000 athletes from about 200 countries will compete for medals in 48 disciplines from 1-11 August. Expect duels, drama, and record-breaking performances as athletes compete for the highest honor in the sporting world.
2. World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24
The year’s first global track and field championships will start in two months as Glasgow hosts the World Indoor Championships on March 1-3. In Belgrade two years ago, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis and triple jumper Yulimar Rojas set world records to claim gold; they’ll be looking to add to their medal – and record – tally in Glasgow, as will a host of other top track and field stars.
3. World Athletics Relays Bahamas 24
For the first time since 2017, the World Relays will be held in the Bahamian capital as the global event returns to the venue of the first three editions. From 4-5 May, athletes will be vying to secure their place in the 4x100m, 4x400m, and mixed 4x400m for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games—expectations of a nation rest on their shoulders – and their baton exchanges.
4. World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24
Two years after the Serbian capital hosted the World Indoor Championships, Serbia will play host to the world’s best cross-country runners this year. Recent editions of the event, in both Aarhus and Bathurst, have put athletes to the test on grueling courses, so expect more of the same on 30 March.
5. World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24
After the latest successful edition of the World U20 Championships in Cali two years ago, the global event will return to South America as Lima becomes the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event. The championships will occur from 27-31 August, showcasing the world’s most promising up-and-coming stars.
6. World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24
Is there room on the calendar for one more global event? Go on, then. For the first time in the history of these championships – including all previous iterations – Turkiye will play host to the World Race Walking Team Championships on 21 April. The first 22 teams here will automatically qualify for the marathon race walk mixed relay – the newest Olympic discipline – at the Paris Games.
7. One-day meeting circuits
While championship action is excellent, the likes of the Wanda Diamond League and World Athletics Continental Tour are where athletes can be seen in action week in and week out throughout the peak of the outdoor track and field season. Before that, there’s also the World Indoor Tour, while other series such as the Cross Country Tour, Combined Events Tour, Race Walking Tour, and Label road races will provide competition opportunities throughout the year.
8. Record breakers
Athletes continued to push boundaries throughout the past 12 months on the track, field, and roads. Expect more of the same in 2024 as Faith Kipyegon, Mondo Duplantis, Kelvin Kiptum, Yulimar Rojas, and Ryan Crouser look to run, jump, and throw better than ever.
9. Big clashes
Rivalries between the sport’s biggest stars always provide a gripping narrative for any season. For 2024, expect some mouth-watering clashes to come from the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles, Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon, Gudaf Tsegay and Sifan Hassan in the 10,000m or Daniel Stahl and Kristjan Ceh in the discus to name but a few.
10. New stars
Every year, a new generation of talent emerges. Some will be athletes who started to make a bit of a breakthrough towards the end of last year, while others may be athletes who fans have barely heard of. Either way, keep your eyes peeled as the season unfolds to witness the future stars of the sport mixing it with the world’s best athletes.
