UK to host IAAF World Championship events in 2016 and 2018

Following on from the success of London 2012, yet more people are set to be inspired to take up running and athletics in the UK in years to come after it was announced last week that the UK will host the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships!

It marks a golden four year period of major world championships for the sport, with the IAAF and IPC World Championships already scheduled for London in 2017 and preceded by the World Mountain Running Championships scheduled for Conwy, North Wales in 2015.

The awarding of the events came following detailed submissions and presentations on day two of the 187th IAAF Council Meeting taking place in Monaco – ahead of this weekend’s World Athletics Gala.

Cardiff will be the third UK host for the IAAF World Half marathon championships in recent years, with both Bristol and Birmingham staging it successfully in 2001 and 2009.

Birmingham will look forward to welcoming the World Indoors back to the National Indoor Arena in 2018 following a £26 million refurbishment, having staged a successful event in 2003, and also playing host to its European equivalent in 2007.

UK Athletics CEO Niels de Vos said: “This is a fantastic day for British Athletics and represents the best possible outcome.

“To have secured world championships in 2015, 16, 17 and 18 represents a golden four year period for athletics.

“We are all very proud of what ourselves and the cities of Cardiff and Birmingham have achieved today - it is unprecedented and is fabulously exciting.”

IAAF vice president Lord Sebastian Coe said: “The IAAF recognised that the Birmingham bid was a winner and the Council were delighted that the city was happy to be awarded the World Champs in 2018.

“For athletics in the UK it makes great strategic sense, giving us an amazing opportunity to maintain the incredible momentum athletics has built up in the UK.

“Ed (Warner) and Niels deserve huge credit for persuading the IAAF to return again so soon as do the cities of Cardiff and Birmingham for preparing such compelling presentations.”

These events are in addition to next year's Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games which will be a fantastic opportunity to see one of the biggest track and field teams England has ever sent to a Commonwealth Games and will no doubt inspire many more people to get involved with athletics.

If you've been inspired to take up running, or know someone who would like to get running, visit runengland.org/groups to search for your local Run England group out of more than 2,000 across the country.