Innovation, research and development
World Athletics’ four-year strategy Pioneering Change (2024-2027) prioritises innovation through key initiatives aimed at transforming athletics and enhancing its global appeal and value. As part of this effort, World Athletics established a research and development unit, which began operations at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
The unit follows a structured approach, placing testing and analysis at the heart of its innovation process.
Approach
The R&D unit allows a structured process to introduce and refine new ideas in athletics. It all starts with identifying challenges and opportunities, ensuring that any innovation is based on real needs within the sport. This is done through a thorough research process including for example market research, focus groups, emotional impact analysis and big data analysis.
Once a challenge is defined, the team develops theories and models to explore potential solutions. These ideas are then tested in controlled environments, with input from stakeholders to refine and adapt them.
If the concept shows promise, it moves into pilot testing within competitions, allowing for real-world evaluation. Throughout this stage, ongoing consultation and adjustments help fine-tune the innovation.
The final step is a go/no-go decision: successful initiatives are rolled out in a controlled manner, while those that don’t meet expectations are discontinued.
This approach ensures that change is deliberate, tested and refined before being fully adopted. The process allows for thoughtful planning, effective execution and continuous improvement.
By combining structured research with real-world testing, World Athletics ensures that every innovation has the best chance of making a lasting impact on the sport.
Background
Following the World Athletics Council’s request for a data-driven approach to innovation and development, the R&D unit was launched at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
In Budapest, World Athletics conducted extensive data sampling across multiple areas. Broadcast analysis included minute-by-minute viewing figures, biometric emotional impact assessments of TV viewers, and viewer and spectator surveys. Additional data collection covered concession sales trends and spectator movement patterns over time. On the competition side, operational aspects were assessed through efficiency analysis, discipline competitiveness, outcome unpredictability and predictive modelling to forecast performance trends.
This broad initial data sampling provided a strong foundation for identifying challenges and opportunities. Some initiatives are already being tested, while others are in the pipeline for future development.
Through analysis of fan behaviour and post-event feedback, we have managed to identify key factors that influence the spectator experience – both in stadiums and on TV. These insights have helped refine event scheduling and identify elements of the sport that capture audience attention, as well as aspects that may need adjustment.
A large part of our ongoing work is shaped by these findings, ensuring that we continue to create an engaging and well-structured competition format.
One particularly interesting discovery is the relationship between track and field events. While fans do have preferred disciplines, the key lies in achieving the right balance between the various competitions taking place. The sport as a whole works well, but there is a clear opportunity to fine-tune the frequency and timing of high-energy moments to maintain excitement throughout a competition. This applies both to TV broadcasts, where the right pace is critical for audience retention, and to the stadium experience, where visibility and engagement vary depending on seating location.
To address this, World Athletics has developed tools that provide insights into expected entertainment value at different points in a competition. These tools help assess when and where peak moments of excitement are likely to occur, allowing events to be structured in a way that maximises engagement for both live spectators and television viewers. Continued research and analysis will further refine these models, but the early findings are already shaping improvements in event presentation and scheduling.
Why the take-off zone test?
At top level, almost every third attempt in the long jump is a foul. By round six, the likelihood of an athlete fouling is twice as high as the likelihood of him/her improving. Biometric emotional analyses and surveys do not support the claim that the risk of fouling is an interesting element of the horizontal jumps.
The theory being tested is that by reducing the number of fouls, the entertainment value of the horizontal jumps will increase. These tests are ongoing.
Why the mixed 4x100m?
Relays are the most popular events among fans. In some competitions, a mixed relay offers a simpler way to include relays without the complexity of staging separate men’s and women’s races.
The test aims to determine:
- Whether the mixed 4x100m adds excitement by introducing complex handovers between athletes with significantly different top speeds.
- Whether the format enhances competitiveness by narrowing the performance gap between nations, allowing more countries to field a strong quartet, and increase the importance of dedicated relay training.
Test events and pilots
Take-off zone for horizontal jumps
The take-off zone has been tested at multiple competitions, most recently at the World Indoor Tour meetings in Düsseldorf and Berlin.
On average, athletes gained 13 centimetres in performance using the take-off zone, matching the expected 10-centimetre improvement. Under the classic format, the foul rate at the tests would have averaged 66%, compared to 32% at major championships. With the take-off zone, the foul rate dropped to 13% – a scenario virtually impossible in the classic format. It is slightly higher than the expected 5%. These results suggest athletes adjust their run-up strategy when using the take-off zone, but this will require further study.
The primary goal of these in-competition tests has been to gauge fan reactions. While more research is needed for definitive conclusions, early results show a slight majority of spectators favour the take-off zone for future competitions. However, opinions vary significantly by background – 70% of casual fans prefer the take-off zone, whereas the ratio flips among those actively involved in the sport (athletes, coaches, etc.).
Mixed 4x100m
The 4x100m mixed relay will be tested at the World Athletics Relays in 2025, and at select other meetings this year. For the World Relays the athlete order will be female-female-male-male, but other orders may be tested at subsequent competitions. Following testing, athlete and coach feedback will be used for evaluation.
The steeple mile
Our analysis shows that while the steeplechase can be highly engaging for fans, its excitement level fluctuates more than for other track events. To assess the impact of a shorter distance, we are conducting tests to evaluate its effect on unpredictability, excitement and athlete safety.
Predictions
At the World Indoor Championships Nanjing 25 we will test predictive modelling across all disciplines with three key objectives:
- Improve forecast accuracy beyond current methods.
- Leverage predictions for both information and entertainment.
- If accuracy is significantly enhanced, explore future applications for seeding, competition reviews, and qualification formats to increase competitiveness in preliminary rounds.
Combined events
As part of our data sampling, we have gathered multiple data sets related to combined events; not only from the international top level, but also across all levels of the sport, including grassroots participation.
The intention is to share this information with the wider community later this year and provide insights for discussion of the status of combined events.
Timetable design
In recent decades, championship durations have shortened while the number of disciplines and athletes has increased.
Despite a 25% rise in individual athletes and the addition of new disciplines and formats such as repechage rounds, the Paris Olympics had almost five hours less competition than LA 1984.
Similarly, the 2023 World Athletics Championships featured 19% more individual athletes than 2013, yet took place in a shorter timeframe.
This calls for new ways of presenting our competitions, where ‘more’ is presented in a more time-efficient way. Several initiatives are aimed at making our competitions able to showcase more athletes in a more appealing way.
‘Instant’ results
Among these initiatives is achieving greater efficiency in timing and measurements. On average, 25% of a long throws competitions is spent waiting for the measurements, which has an impact on the fan experience at home and in the stadium.
We plan to roll out several new initiatives in the coming years, looking to make timing and measurements more efficient.
Future plans
Among other items identified for further study, we will be looking at disciplines and formats such as the 200m hurdles, street and off-road running formats, false start rules, and height progression protocols in the vertical jumps.