For stars of track and field to lace up their spikes at the World Athletics Championship is something of an honour. It’s an accolade that carries as much weight as Olympic gold. And the 2023 edition in Budapest showed why, with 404,088 fans across nine days of spellbinding performances creating an electric atmosphere that saw British athlete Josh Kerr storm through on the final straight to win the 1500m and deny Norwegian favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen his gold. There was also a brilliant British sweep of the relay events and a fine showing from middle distance athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson and Ben Pattison.
The world championships are organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations and are held every two years in odd years to avoid clashing with the Olympics, which are held on a quadrennial basis in even years. The championships feature a full roster of track and field events available to male and female athletes from IAAF member countries and their national sport federations. World, area, and country records are set throughout the competition.
It’s a great way to keep track and field in the spotlight, and it ensures the sport continues to attract young people. As well as the championships, IAAF run the Diamond League series of one-day events that take place throughout the year – with winning athletes receiving a medal and wild card entry to the following Worlds.