This will be the 20th edition of the World Athletics Championships, and will be held from September 13th to 21st. The championships will use the National Stadium, rebuilt for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and 2020 Summer Paralympic Games.
It will be the third time that the championships will be held in Japan, following the 1991 event in Tokyo at the former National Stadium, and the 2007 event in Osaka. Kenya, will be represented by 58 athletes, with two of them set to defend their 2023 titles in this year’s edition: Kipyegon (1500m and 500m) and Mary Moraa (800m).
Apart from the 4x100m men’s team, which will be making a comeback to the championships for a second time since their first appearance in 1983, the East African will be competing in the 100m men, 4x400m men, 4x400m mixed relay, 400m women, and 400m hurdles men.
Other races include: 800m men and women, 1500m men and women, 3000m steeplechase men and women, 5000m men and women, 10,000m men and women, marathon men and women and Javelin men and women.
Also in the team are three reigning Olympic champions: Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon. Irene Jepkemboi will be the 1st Kenyan woman to participate in javelin at the World Championships in this year’s edition after qualifying through the ranking system.
Which venue will host athletics?
Athletics events will be returning to the iconic National Stadium for the first time since it hosted the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Located in Kasumigaokamachi, Shinjuku-ku, in Tokyo city, the ultramodern stadium was completed on November 30th, 2019, in readiness for the Olympic Games.
According to the IAAF website, the venue will host close to 2000 athletes from 200 countries, who will be competing in the 20th edition, which will be held over a period of nine days. The championships will have a total of 49 medal events with 24 male and 24 female disciplines and one mixed event with a total of 147 medals to be awarded.
In the 3,000m steeplechase women, world and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain, Uganda’s Tokyo Olympic gold and Paris Olympic silver medallist Peruth Chemutai, and Kenya’s world and Olympic bronze medallist Faith Cherotich will clash again.
Apart from Cherotich, other Kenyans that will feature in the race include: Doris Lemngole, the Lausanne Diamond League winner and two-time NCAA champion, plus Pamela Kosgei, who is a double NCAA champion and younger sister of former marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, and Celestine Biwott, making her global debut.
Kenya’s Kipyegon has the chance to equal Hicham El Guerrouj’s record gold-medal haul in the 1,500m race. The 31-year-old has won three Olympic and three world 1500m titles – more than any other woman in the history of the event – and remains unbeaten over the distance for four years.
Where to watch World Athletics Championships?
In the United States, NBC Sports and Peacock have secured the exclusive broadcasting rights, and the full event will be available for streaming on Peacock, with additional coverage on NBC, CNBC, and USA Network.
Meanwhile, for viewers in East Africa, the livestream will be available on SuperSport Africa One / Variety Three. The event will also be streamed on Eurovision Sport, while for other viewers worldwide, the World Athletics has provided the streaming information.
Full schedules for the races
Day 1 schedule — Saturday, September 13
Morning session
• 07:30 Men's 35km race walk final
• 07:30 Women's 35km race walk final
• 09:00 Women's discus throw qualification group A
• 10:55 Men's shot put qualification
• 10:55 Women's discus throw qualification group B
• 11:23 Men's 100m preliminary round
• 11:55 Mixed 4x400m relay heats
Evening session
• 18:05 Men's 3000m steeplechase heats
• 18:30 Women's long jump qualification
• 18:55 Women's 100m heats
• 19:05 Men's pole vault qualification
• 19:50 Women's 1500m heats
• 20:35 Men's 100m heats
• 21:10 Men's shot put final
• 21:30 Women's 10,000m final
• 22:20 Mixed 4x400m relay final
Day 2 schedule — Sunday, September 14
Morning session
• 07:30 Women's marathon final
• 09:00 Women's hammer throw qualification group A
• 09:35 Men's 1500m heats
• 10:45 Women's hammer throw qualification group B
• 11:28 Women's 100m hurdles heats
Evening session
• 18:35 Men's 400m heats
• 18:40 Men's high jump qualification
• 19:10 Women's discus throw final
• 19:25 Women's 400m heats
• 20:20 Women's 100m semi-final
• 20:40 Women's long jump final
• 20:43 Men's 100m semi-final
• 21:05 Women's 1500m semi-final
• 21:30 Men's 10,000m final
• 22:13 Women's 100m final
• 22:20 Men's 100m final
Day 3 schedule — Monday, September 15
Morning session
• 07:30 Men's marathon final
• 09:00 Men's hammer throw qualification group A
• 09:05 Women's pole vault qualification
• 09:15 Women's 3000m steeplechase heats
• 10:45 Men's hammer throw qualification group B
• 11:20 Women's 400m hurdles heats
Evening session
• 19:35 Men's 400m hurdles heats
• 19:40 Men's long jump qualification
• 20:10 Men's pole vault final
• 20:20 Men's 110m hurdles heats
• 21:00 Women's hammer throw final
• 21:05 Women's 100m hurdles semi-final
• 21:30 Men's 1500m semi-final
• 21:55 Women's 3000m steeplechase final
• 22:20 Women's 100m hurdles final
Day 4 schedule — Tuesday, September 16
Evening session
• 19:35 Men's 800m heats
• 19:40 Women's triple jump qualification
• 20:35 Men's high jump final
• 20:40 Men's 110m hurdles semi-final
• 21:00 Men's hammer throw final
• 21:05 Women's 400m semi-final
• 21:35 Men's 400m semi-final
• 22:05 Women's 1500m final
• 22:20 Men's 110m hurdles final
Day 5 schedule — Wednesday, September 17
Evening session
• 19:05 Men's triple jump qualification
• 19:10 Men's javelin throw qualification group A
• 19:30 Women's 200m heats
• 20:10 Women's pole vault final
• 20:15 Men's 200m heats
• 20:45 Men's javelin throw qualification group B
• 20:50 Men's long jump final
• 21:00 Women's 400m hurdles semi-final
• 21:30 Men's 400m hurdles semi-final
• 21:57 Women's 3000m steeplechase final
• 22:20 Men's 1500m final
Day 6 schedule — Thursday, September 18
Evening session
• 19:05 Women's 5000m heats
• 19:15 Women's high jump qualification
• 19:23 Men's javelin throw final
• 19:55 Women's 800m heats
• 20:55 Women's triple jump final
• 21:02 Men's 200m semi-final
• 21:24 Women's 200m semi-final
• 21:45 Men's 800m semi-final
• 22:10 Men's 400m final
• 22:24 Women's 400m final
Day 7 schedule — Friday, September 19
Evening session
• 17:33 Heptathlon women's 100m hurdles
• 18:20 Heptathlon women's high jump
• 19:30 Women's javelin throw qualification group A
• 20:05 Men's 5000m heats
• 20:30 Heptathlon women's shot put
• 20:45 Women's 800m semi-final
• 20:50 Men's triple jump final
• 21:00 Women's javelin throw qualification group B
• 21:15 Men's 400m hurdles final
• 21:27 Women's 400m hurdles final
• 21:38 Heptathlon women's 200m
• 22:06 Men's 200m final
• 22:22 Women's 200m final
Day 8 schedule — Saturday, September 20
Morning session
• 07:30 Women's 20km race walk final
• 09:00 Men's discus throw qualification group A
• 09:25 Decathlon men's 100m
• 09:50 Men's 20km race walk final
• 10:00 Women's shot put qualification
• 10:05 Decathlon men's long jump
• 10:35 Men's discus throw qualification group B
• 11:30 Heptathlon women's long jump
• 11:45 Decathlon men's shot put
Evening session
• 19:00 Heptathlon women's javelin throw
• 19:05 Decathlon men's high jump
• 19:35 Men's 4x400m relay heats
• 19:54 Women's shot put final
• 20:00 Women's 4x400m relay heats
• 20:25 Men's 4x100m relay heats
• 20:45 Women's 4x100m relay heats
• 21:05 Women's javelin throw final
• 21:11 Heptathlon final women's 800m
• 21:29 Women's 5000m final
• 21:55 Decathlon men's 400m
• 22:22 Men's 800m final
Day 9 schedule — Sunday, September 21
Morning session
• 09:05 Decathlon men's 110m hurdles
• 09:55 Decathlon men's discus throw group A
• 11:05 Decathlon men's discus throw group B
• 11:35 Decathlon men's pole vault group A
• 12:20 Decathlon men's pole vault group B
Evening session
• 17:35 Decathlon men's javelin throw group A
• 18:47 Decathlon men's javelin throw group B
• 19:30 Women's high jump final
• 19:35 Women's 800m final
• 19:50 Men's 5000m final
• 20:00 Men's discus throw final
• 20:25 Men's 4x400m relay final
• 20:40 Women's 4x400m relay final
• 20:55 Decathlon final men's 1500m
• 21:10 Women's 4x100m relay final
• 21:20 Men's 4x100m relay final
