Rome, Apr 7 (LaPresse) – World Athletics, the top international governing body, is shaping a new future for the marathon with the creation of World Championships for the discipline starting in 2030. The most iconic endurance race will remain part of the World Athletics Championships in 2027 and 2029, but from 2030 it will become a standalone event. From 2031 onwards, the marathon—or any other road race distance—will no longer be part of the World Athletics Championships. The Marathon World Championships will become an annual event, with men and women competing in alternating years, at the same frequency as the current World Marathon Championships. This championship has been designed in close collaboration with those who have made the marathon the global phenomenon it is today, and full details of these collaborations will be announced in the coming months. The World Road Running Championships will continue to take place as a separate annual event.