The fourth edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships its last event for the year began on Saturday 19th and will run through Sunday 20th September, 2026 at the Danish Capital, Copenhagen
During the two – day event, a total of 498 athletes comprising 270 men and 226 women from 85 Federations plus the World Athletics Athletes Refuge Team will battle for glory across road mile, 5Km and half marathon.
As more than 60,000 runners joins the elite athletes across mass races in all three disciplines, three world titles are up for grabs for both men and women.
The high entry figures demonstrates the strength and appeal of the event for federations across the globe.
Global champions Jimmy Gressier, Jacob Ingebrigsten and Agnes Ngetich are among the 498 athletes that entered for this Championships.
World 10Km record – holder Ngetich will be looking to add another global title to the World Cross – Country crowned she claimed in Tallahassee, Florida in January.
She will contest the half marathon, an event in which she holds the Kenyan record of 1: 03: 04 a time that places her second in the world’s all – time list.
She will line up alongside Ethiopian’s Ysigie Gebreselama, who finished fourth at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023, while the entry also includes Uruguay’s world marathon bronze medallist Julian Paternain.
Multiple global medalists will clash when the men’s half marathon brings elite World Athletics Road Running Champions Copenhagen 26 to a close on Sunday, 20th September, 2026.
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir and Daniel Ebeneya both claimed medals at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023.
They will again fight for podium places in the Danish Capital. But they will be up against formidable field featuring fellow major medalists such as Sweden’s world 10,000 m bronze medallist Andreas Almgres and Uganda’s multiple Olympic and World champions Joshua Cheptegei.
Meanwhile, in the opening event, Dawit Seares pulled off a major upset in Copenhagen defeating Jacob Ingebrigsten in closing stretch to win the men’s road 5 km in an Eritrean national record of 12.56. The victory marked the biggest title of Seare’s career. Ingebrigsten finished second in a Norwegian national record of 12.59, a week after winning the 5,000 m at the World Athletics Ultimate Challenge Championship. Seare’s teammate completed the podium in a personal best of 13.00.
In other results, just a week after winning the 5,000 m at the World Athletics Ultimate Challenge Likina Amebaw claimed another title in Copenhagen. The Ethiopian won the women’s road 5k in season’s best of 14.41. Caroline Makandi Gitonga of Kenya came second with a time of 14.48 while Australian Rose Davis placed third with a time of 14.50 an Australian national record.
