Sport | Road running |
---|---|
Founded | 2008 |
Continent | Global |
Official website | https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-label-road-races |
World Athletics Label Road Races are races that World Athletics (until 2019: IAAF) designates as the "leading road races around the world." [1] The classification was first introduced for the 2008 running season, upon the suggestion of the IAAF Road Running Commission. [2] The races are split into three categories: marathons, half marathons and other. Within the "other" category are traditional road race distances, over which World Athletics world records can be set, along with some "Classical races", which span unusual distances. [1] The Labels are considered a prestigious award by race organisers, [3] [4] [5] and include the six World Marathon Majors. Platinium Label races have the strictest requirements, followed by Gold, then Elite, and general Label Races. All categories require what the World Athletics describes as an international elite field, that requires at least five nations for the highest labels to be represented by runners with times faster than the World Athletics's guidelines. Additionally, the race course must be closed to vehicular traffic, and measured to the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) standard, with full electronic timing used to generate the results.
In the first year, only Gold and Silver Labels were awarded, and 49 races were recognised. [6] A third tier was introduced in 2010, entitled the Bronze Label, [7] and in 2015, 88 races were listed in total. [8] Starting in the 2023 season, only four tiers are used: Platinum Label, Gold Label, Elite Label and Label. [9]
In October 2018, the IAAF announced to introduced the Platinum Label for the 2020 season. [10] For the 2021, the Platinum Label was renamed Elite Platinum Label, the Gold Label was renamed Elite Label, and the Silver and Bronze Labels were merged into Label Races. Then, in 2023, the Elite Platinum Label reverts to the Platinum Label and the Gold Label re-emerges, becoming an intermediate tier between the Elite and Platinum Labels.
The Labels are assessed and awarded each year. Race organisers have to apply to the World Athletics for recognition, and show that their race can meet a number of criteria. The criteria vary for the different levels; [11] The race must be organised in a way that minimizes ecological damage to the surrounding areas. A specified number of doping tests must be carried out, and prize money for the participants should be equal, irrespective of gender or nationality, though additional rewards can be given to runners from the host nation. [1]
In 2017, Japan had the most road race Label events, with 9, although the Czech Republic hosted the most Gold Label events, 7. [12] 3 races on the African continent received Label status in 2015. [8]
Ed. | Year | Start date | End date | Races | Elite Platinum | Platinum | Gold | Elite | Label | Silver | Bronze | Marathons | Half marathons | 10K | Other dist. | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2008 | 5 January | 7 December | 49 | — | — | 12 | — | — | 37 | — | 32 | 8 | 6 | 3 | [13] |
2 | 2009 | 3 January | 31 December | 49 | — | — | 19 | — | — | 30 | — | 34 | 8 | 5 | 2 | [14] |
3 | 2010 | 2 January | 31 December | 57 | — | — | 24 | — | — | 24 | 9 | 35 | 10 | 9 | 3 | [15] |
4 | 2011 | 2 January | 31 December | 65 | — | — | 26 | — | — | 25 | 14 | 39 | 13 | 9 | 4 | [16] |
5 | 2012 | 7 January | 31 December | 71 | — | — | 35 | — | — | 21 | 15 | 44 | 14 | 10 | 4 | [17] |
6 | 2013 | 5 January | 31 December | 74 | — | — | 36 | — | — | 21 | 17 | 46 | 12 | 11 | 5 | [18] |
7 | 2014 | 2 January | 31 December | 80 | — | — | 38 | — | — | 24 | 18 | 50 | 16 | 10 | 4 | [19] |
8 | 2015 | 3 January | 31 December | 88 | — | — | 43 | — | — | 27 | 18 | 55 | 18 | 10 | 5 | [20] |
9 | 2016 | 2 January | 31 December | 88 | — | — | 44 | — | — | 17 | 27 | 59 | 19 | 8 | 2 | [21] |
10 | 2017 | 2 January | 31 December | 103 | — | — | 50 | — | — | 20 | 33 | 68 | 23 | 9 | 3 | [22] |
11 | 2018 | 7 January | 31 December | 114 | — | — | 56 | — | — | 26 | 32 | 75 | 26 | 9 | 4 | [23] |
12 | 2019 | 6 January | 31 December | 138 | — | — | 64 | — | — | 25 | 49 | 88 | 28 | 15 | 7 | [24] |
13 | 2020 | 5 January | 31 December | 48 | — | 5 | 23 | — | — | 7 | 13 | 31 | 11 | 5 | 1 | [25] |
14 | 2021 | 31 January | 31 December | 103 | 10 | — | — | 39 | 54 | — | — | [26] | ||||
15 | 2022 | 9 January | 31 December | 175 | 12 | — | — | 79 | 84 | — | — | [27] | ||||
16 | 2023 | 2 January | 31 December | 254 | — | 15 | 39 | 65 | 135 | — | — | 139 | [28] | |||
17 | 2024 | 7 January | 31 December | 262 | — | 14 | 44 | 56 | 148 | — | — | [29] |
The Beijing Marathon is an annual marathon race held around October in Beijing, People's Republic of China, since 1981. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes in Celebration Square in Olympic Green. The full marathon is the only distance offered.
The World Athletics Road Running Championships is a biennial international road running competition organised by World Athletics. The competition was launched as the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and held annually until 2010. It was renamed the IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2006 and reduced in distance to a 20K run, but reverted to the half marathon distance the following year and to the original competition name the year after that. The competition was renamed to its current title in 2020 after the governing body rebranded itself moving away from the long-standing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) moniker and expanded to include additional races.
The Great South Run is an annual 10 mile (16.09 km) road running race which takes place in Portsmouth, United Kingdom providing an intermediate distance between the ten kilometre and the half marathon (21.097 km) runs. Launched in 1990, it is part of the Great Run series created by former British athlete Brendan Foster. It was originally held in Southampton, but the race moved to its current course after the first edition.
EDP Lisbon Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every March in Lisbon, Portugal. It carries IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. The men's course record of 57:31 was set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2021, which is the current world record for the half marathon distance. Kenyan runners have been very successful in the competition, accounting for over half of the total winners, with Tegla Loroupe taking the honours in the women's race on six separate occasions. The Lisbon Half Marathon is not to be confused with Luso Portugal Half Marathon, another prominent half marathon race which is also held in Lisbon in October.
Fatuma Sado Dergo is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in marathon races. She has a personal best of 2:26:09 hours and has won marathons in Hamburg, Los Angeles and Xiamen.
The Sydney Marathon is a marathon held annually in Sydney, Australia each September. The event was first held on the 30th of April 2000 and called The Host City Marathon as a test event for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and has continued every year since, as a legacy of the 2000 Summer Olympics. The marathon is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics.
Sifan Hassan is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. She is most recognized for her versatility in running championship and world-leading performances in widely disparate distances. She completed an unprecedented triple at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, winning gold medals in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres and a bronze medal for the 1,500 metres. Hassan is the only athlete in Olympic history to win medals across a middle-distance event and both long-distance races in a single Games. She is only the second of three women to complete an Olympic distance double. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Hassan secured a bronze medal in both the women's 5,000 m and 10,000 m events and gold in the women's marathon, becoming the only woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and Marathon races.
The Mexico City Marathon is an annual road running event over the marathon distance 42.19 kilometres (26.22 mi) which is held on the streets of Mexico City in late August or early September that in 2018 received IAAF Gold Label Status.
The Valencia Marathon is an annual marathon road running event hosted by Valencia, Spain, since 1981. It is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics. The race is organised by the Valencian sports club SD Correcaminos, which also organises the annual Valencia Half Marathon.
The 2008 IAAF Road Race Label Events were the inaugural edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). All five World Marathon Majors had Gold Label status. The races were mostly in North America, Western Europe, and East Asia. It was the first year that the IAAF had provided the race designation. The series included a total of 49 road races, 12 Gold and 37 Silver Label status. In terms of distance, 32 races were marathons, 8 were half marathons, 6 were 10K runs, and 3 were held over other distances.
The 2019 IAAF Road Race Label Events are the twelfth edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The series included a total of 138 road races: 64 Gold Label, 25 Silver Label and 49 Bronze Label. In terms of distance, 88 races were marathons, 28 were half marathons, 15 were 10K runs, and 7 were held over other distances. The series included all six World Marathon Majors in the Gold category.
The 2018 IAAF Road Race Label Events were the eleventh edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The series included a total of 114 road races: 56 Gold, 26 Silver and 32 Bronze. In terms of distance, 75 races were marathons, 26 were half marathons, 9 were 10K runs, and 4 were held over other distances. The series included all six World Marathon Majors in the Gold category.
The 2014 IAAF Road Race Label Events were the seventh edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). All six World Marathon Majors had Gold Label status. The series included a total of 80 road races: 38 Gold, 24 Silver and 18 Bronze. In terms of distance, 50 races were marathons, 16 were half marathons, 10 were 10K runs, and 4 were held over other distances.
The 2012 IAAF Road Race Label Events were the fifth edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). All five World Marathon Majors had Gold Label status. The series included a total of 71 road races: 35 Gold, 21 Silver and 15 Bronze. In terms of distance, 44 races were marathons, 14 were half marathons, 10 were 10K runs, and 4 were held over other distances.
The 2011 IAAF Road Race Label Events were the fourth edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). All five World Marathon Majors had Gold Label status. The series included a total of 65 road races: 26 Gold, 25 Silver and 14 Bronze. In terms of distance, 39 races were marathons, 13 were half marathons, 9 were 10K runs, and 4 were held over other distances.
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The 2020 World Athletics Label Road Races were the thirteenth edition of the global series of road running competitions given Label status by World Athletics. The series included a range of road events which was affected due to the growing concern about the coronavirus pandemic including the World Marathon Majors events like the Tokyo Marathon, the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon.
The 2023 World Athletics Label Road Races are road running competitions scheduled for 2023 that have met a certain standard for World Athletics to include the race in its Label Road Races program. The list of races so labelled for the 2023 calendar year was released on 4 November 2022. The list contained 238 races, nearly 20 more than in 2022, and included 14 Platinum Label, 38 Gold Label, 66 Elite Label, and 120 Label races. World Athletics stated that the additional funding afforded by the Label Road Races program would allow the Athletics Integrity Unit to improve the system it uses to detect drug use in competitions.