The definition of athletics has surely evolved. Today, it has reached the stage where it’s no longer limited to lacing your shoes and hitting the track or an outdoor trail. If you simply get to your nearest gym and step on the treadmill for a bit, that’s counted as athletics too!

Yes. World Athletics has been revolutionizing the sport and taking it to newer heights. They announced the launch of a new season-ending Ultimate Championship to be added to the track circuit starting in 2026. And now, it seems treadmill running is in line for its moment in the spotlight, with the launch of a new event centered around it.

World Athletics considering a World Treadmill Championships

According to Athletics Weekly, World Athletics hopes to open the sport up to newer horizons, and to catch untapped markets, they’re looking to develop the ‘virtual running scene.’ Thus, the idea of a World Treadmill Championship appears to be in the pipeline. Per them, the governing body is inches away from putting the deal down on paper with a technology partner.

Jon Ridgeon, World Athletics’ chief executive, justified the rationale behind this consideration with, “There are millions of people around the world that just go to the gym and run on the treadmill.” He further added, “We should create products for those people. We should have a Treadmill World Championship. You are an athlete if you go for a 30-minute run on a treadmill or if you win an Olympic gold medal in the 100m. It is all athletics.”

While this idea is still finding its footing in the world of track and field, it’s interesting that sports like rowing and cycling have already hopped onto the trend of holding global championships using gym equipment. The World Indoor Rowing Championships see athletes compete across disciplines on rowing machines, whereas the Esports World Championships in cycling has them riding bikes indoors on turbo trainers, channeling the spirit of virtual sports.

But, for the World Athletics, is this incorporation feasible? Well, it’s safe to say that the fitness world has seen a substantial influx of participants recently, which makes this idea fitting on an ideational level as the demand appears quite high. But this step would need revision of the basics, it seems. As per WA, the definition of “athletics” includes track and field, road running, race walking, cross-country running, mountain running, and trail running for now. So this new addition may necessitate an expansion of the definition.

However, it is also true that Athletics as a sport has adapted through the centuries. And so has World Athletics. Toward its goal of bringing the sport to as many people as possible, this step seems a giant leap in the right direction. Also, considering that the body needs to be proactive toward the changing demands of the sport, this change looks well-tuned with the objectives.

Thus, Sebastian Coe, the WA President, throws his weight behind, saying, “We have to embrace, and we have got to take our sport to where people are. That is crucial.” For the same reason, precisely to ‘to bring fans athletics as they have never seen it before,’ WA had previously launched the Ultimate Championship, which kicks off a season later in Budapest.

WA putting a new spin on the USA-Jamaica rivalry

World Athletics recently announced the launch of a new biennial competition, the World Ultimate Championships. Featuring a field of 8 to 16 athletes per individual event across 28 different track and field categories, it’s touted to be an absolute kicker! Also, there’s no limitation on participation per country, as all the reigning Olympic gold medalists, World Champions, and Diamond League season champs are already guaranteed spots in their signature events.

However, World Athletics added fuel to the fire with one of their recent announcements. They included the mixed 4x100m event in the event mix, which, as we know, has never made it to an Olympics or World Championships. And if the change wasn’t enough, they fanned the USA-Jamaica rivalry with a post that read, “Team 🇺🇸 vs Team 🇯🇲 The mixed 4x100m relay is coming to the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Who’s winning this matchup?”

While the answer to that will be decoded in time, for now, we know that the event is revolutionary, both in its format and end goal. Unlike the World Outdoor Championships which lasted 9 days, this is set to be a high-intensity 3-day event and will have only 3 evening sessions, each spanning over 3 hours roughly. Moreover, winners will go home with a bounty of $150,000 from a total prize pool of $10 million, which is incredible.

And the format also says that track events will have both semis and finals, while field competitions will only have the latter. In all, the substantial changes prove that World Athletics is truly shaking things up! What do you think? Let us know below!