[Source: UK Athletics] The Emirates Arena will stage the biggest Indoor athletics championships in the world, five years on from holding the hugely successful European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019.

News of the award has delighted the bid partners EventScotland, Glasgow Life, UK Athletics and UK Sport who received the outcome of the World Athletics Council vote earlier this afternoon.

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, said: “I’m delighted that Glasgow has been chosen to host the prestigious World Athletics Indoor Championships in 2024. This will underline Scotland’s global reputation as the Perfect Stage for events and is welcome news as we look to recover from the pandemic.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that Glasgow and Scotland have been chosen to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. Scotland is the perfect stage for events and securing the Championships reinforces our reputation as a global leader in the delivery of innovative and world class events.

“We look forward to working closely with World Athletics and our partners to deliver the truly memorable Championships, and to welcoming athletes and fans from around the world to Glasgow and Scotland in 2024.”

Councillor David McDonald, Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Today’s announcement by Word Athletics recognises Glasgow’s global reputation as a first choice host for major sporting events and as a city with a track record of delivering world-class event experiences. It’s a privilege to be bringing the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships to the Emirates Arena, which is widely regarded as one of the best athletics venues in the world.

“Glasgow is committed to using major international events to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, and to ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities. Together with our partners, we’re looking forward to continuing that important work and to delivering an outstanding Championships which helps to inspire Scotland’s next generation of talented athletes.”   

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “I am delighted that with our event hosting partners, we have secured another world class event to take place in Scotland. As part of our new strategy to reach, inspire and unite communities across the UK, ensuring a wide geographical reach is of utmost importance to us. The National Lottery investment into this event will help ensure a truly inspirational event, both on and off the field of play.”

Ian Beattie, Chair of UK Athletics said: “We are delighted to be awarded the opportunity to host the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships. World Athletics have demonstrated their confidence in the UK to host global athletics championships once again, and history has shown time and time again our ability to deliver amazing events. 

“We’re thrilled with the outcome and look forward to a successful Championships working alongside our partners that will truly give all athletes a fantastic stage upon which to perform.”

The dates of the event have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be in March 2024.

Peru to host first World Athletics Series event in 2024

[Source: World Athletics] Lima will become the first city in Peru to host a World Athletics Series event when it welcomes the world’s best junior athletes in mid-2024.

The President of the Peruvian Athletics Federation, Javier Chirinos Hoyos, said this was a big moment for athletics in Peru.

“We are very happy and proud to have been chosen for the first time ever, to host the 2024 World U20 Championships,” he said. “Rest assured that we will organise the best event of this category in history. We have the experience and a great team to give the best in Lima in 2024. Thanks all and we will be waiting with open arms for all of you in Lima."

The general director of the Local Organising Committee, Luis Condeso Ocampo, added: “We are very happy and grateful to World Athletics for trusting us to host the World Athletics U20 Championships in 2024. We assume this designation with great responsibility, and be sure that the Peruvian Athletics Federation, with all the support of the Peruvian Sports Institute, the Municipality of Lima, and all sportspeople in Peru, we will make the World U20 Championships in Lima an unforgettable experience for all participants.” agreed on the host cities of two future World Athletics Series events at their meeting in Monaco.

[Source: World Athletics] The full ten-meeting schedule for the 2020 World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold level) has been finalised with the addition of Nairobi, which will be the first African host city.

The pilot year of the USD 2m Gold meeting series will now visit four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and North America - with the first meeting at Nairobi’s Moi International Stadium on 2 May, followed by Tokyo on May 10. The series will finish in Zagreb in September.

Both South America and Oceania will host Silver level meetings this year with a view to staging Gold level meetings in 2021.

With the completion of the Gold meeting schedule for 2020, World Athletics has also finalised the discipline breakdown for each meeting (download), with a broad events spread to maximise competition opportunities for athletes in all disciplines and all parts of the world.

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.

“Between the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour all disciplines will be catered for and many more athletes will have access to top class competition,’’ he said.

Fittingly, given the tradition of African distance runners, Nairobi will stage the 3000m steeplechase, 5000m and 10,000m for men and women as part of its programme. This is expected to be the highest quality senior international meeting to be held in Kenya’s history.

Continental Tour

The Continental Tour will be divided into three levels – Gold, Silver and Bronze – whose status will be determined by the quality of competition and prize money on offer.

World Athletics is investing in the Gold level meetings, which will each offer $US200,000 in prize money, to increase the number of high quality competitive opportunities available to showcase our sport’s best athletes.

Area associations will be responsible for managing the Silver ($US75,000 prize money) and Bronze level competitions ($US25,000). There will be ten Silver and up to 50 Bronze meetings.

Those disciplines that are not included in this year’s Wanda Diamond League final – 200m, 3000m steeplechase, triple jump, discus - will be core events in the Continental Tour Gold meetings, as will the hammer throw. Each will have guaranteed prize money of $US20,000 at each meeting.

Performances in those events will attract the same level of world ranking points as the core Diamond League disciplines, and the overall tour winners will receive wildcard entry to the World Athletics Championships Oregon 2021.

Host broadcasters have been appointed for each meeting and Infront, the tour’s international TV rights holder, will sell the rights into markets around the world.