The countdown is on! In six months, the world's top athletes will gather in Tokyo for the highly anticipated World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. This summer, the city will once again take centre stage as the pinnacle of sporting competition unfolds.
<h2>Tokyo welcomes the world's best</h2>
Four years on from the Tokyo Olympics, the world&rsquo;s best athletes will return to Japan&rsquo;s capital city and Tokyo is ready to welcome a full stadium! Fans from around the globe will witness history in the making as athletes give their all on this world-class stage.
<h2>Tickets selling fast!</h2>
Tickets are now on sale and in high demand! Some of the most sought-after sessions are already selling out, so be sure to secure your spot before it&rsquo;s too late.
<a href="https://tokyo25-lp.pia.jp/index_en.html?utm_source=loc&amp;utm_medium=tokyo25_website&amp;utm_campaign=20250131&amp;utm_content=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECURE YOUR TICKETS NOW</a>
Please note that if a session is marked as sold out, additional tickets for that session may become available at a later date due to various circumstances.
Our official ticket resale service will be available later this spring, allowing fans to buy or resell tickets at face value. Stay tuned for more details!
Not sure which sessions have the action you want to see? Check out the event schedule <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/67232fd8b5634d2f7739f752.pdf">here</a>.
<h2>Stay updated</h2>
For the latest news, event details, and exclusive content, follow us on social media and sign up for Tokyo News today!
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With six months to go until the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, the excitement is building. Join the countdown and get ready for the world&rsquo;s greatest athletic showdown!
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World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025

The countdown is on! In just six months, the world's top athletes will gather in Tokyo for the highly anticipated World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. This summer, the city will once again take centre stage as the pinnacle of sporting competition unfolds.

6 months to go until the world meets in Tokyo! Day 2 & 9 evening sessions: SOLD OUT! 

PIA Corporation has been announced as the official commercial hospitality provider and agent for the&nbsp;World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
The Japan-based ticketing services company is also the general ticketing provider and an event supporter in the ticketing services category for the WCH Tokyo 25, which will be held in the Japanese capital from 13 to 21 September.
<a href="https://corporate.pia.jp/en/corp/data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PIA Corporation</a> has provided ticketing and access control management services for many international sporting events, including the Olympic Games from the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics to Tokyo 2020, the 2002 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Japan and Korea, and the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
The range of hospitality packages available for WCH Tokyo 25 offer a variety of experiences, including the opportunity to meet special guests, smooth entry through a dedicated entrance gate, and a lounge available before and after the sessions.
<h3>Packages include:</h3>
&bull; Box Hospitality
Guests are seated on the terrace, which is connected to their own private room where they can enjoy their food and drink indoors.
&bull; Lounge Hospitality
In addition to premium seating close to the finish line, this package includes a dedicated lounge right next to the stadium. The lounge will feature guest speakers and a dedicated bar.
&bull; Ticket+
Ticket+ allows spectators to upgrade their general admission ticket to gain access to limited edition commemorative items, in addition to those offered as part of the WCH Tokyo 25 merchandise.
Visit the <a href="https://tokyo25-hospitality.pia.jp/index_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hospitality Package website</a>&nbsp;for more information.
Toshihiro Kawabata, Executive Director in charge of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 at PIA Corporation, said: &ldquo;Embracing the spirit of 'omotenashi' (a sincere and transparent form of hospitality), PIA has been promoting the culture of hospitality in Japan and has created hospitality packages for many events in recent years, including those held at the National Stadium, the venue for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
&ldquo;Our mission is to take hospitality in Japan to the next level, achieve sustainable development of the athletics community and enrich people's lives through athletics.&rdquo;
World Athletics

PIA Corporation has been announced as the official commercial hospitality provider and agent for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

PIA Corporation announced as official hospitality provider for WCH Tokyo 25

The world&rsquo;s stars will converge on the Japanese capital for nine days of action in the Japan National Stadium, the athletics venue at the Olympic Games four years ago, and the spotlight will certainly be on local hero and current javelin world No.1 Haruka Kitaguchi.
Expectations are running high that she can follow up her triumphs at the last World Championships in Budapest and the Olympic Games last summer with her third victory on the global stage.
However, the coming months will see not only preparations for the World Championships move up several gears but celebrations across the country as the Japan Association of Athletics Federation (JAAF) commemorates its centenary, having been founded on 1 March 1925.
Athletics had been part of the sporting landscape in Japan for the best part of half a century prior to foundation of the JAAF. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868 &ndash; a pivotal moment in Japanese history which saw the emperor restored and a rapid opening up of the country to western influences &ndash; during the 1870s and 80s, sports such as baseball and athletics became introduced into Japanese universities and schools.
<h2>Universities provide the spark</h2>
The first athletics meeting of note in Japan was held at the Imperial University (now The University of Tokyo) in 1883.
A British government-hired foreign instructor Frederick Strange was concerned about the poor physical condition of his students and introduced sports like rowing and cricket as well as athletics. In the case of the latter, the meeting became an annual fixture gaining the attention of athletes, fans and the media alike. Turn the clock forward nearly three decades, and Japan&rsquo;s athletes were slowly becoming ready to make an impact on the international stage.
In July 1911, the Japan Amateur Sports Association, which doubled as Japan's National Olympic Committee, was founded with a view to sending a team to the following year&rsquo;s Olympic Games in Stockholm and trials for athletes took place in November 1911.
Only a small team &ndash; just two athletes, sprinter Yahiko Mishima and marathon runner Shizo Kanakuri &ndash; was sent but was a historic one as it was the first time an Asian country sent an official team to an Olympic Games with Mishima distinguishing himself by reaching the 400m semi-finals.
&ldquo;At the time (of the 1912 Olympic Games) it was noted that records set 16 years earlier at the 1896 Olympics nearly equalled Japan&rsquo;s best records in 1912,&rdquo; wrote the Japanese historian Professor Kei Ushimura in 2019. &ldquo;Those concerned with the development of sports in Japan reasoned that if the country was 16 years behind the rest of the world, the next 16 years would offer an opportunity to catch up. And indeed, the beginning of the Taisho era (which lasted from 1912-26) saw a surge in publication of how-to books about track and field sports.&rdquo;
<h2>Japan makes its mark internationally</h2>
With Stockholm being the inspiration, the first Far Eastern Games took place in Manila the following year and saw Zenji Inakagata earn gold in both the one mile and five miles road race.
At the third edition of the Far Eastern Games in 1917, which were staged in Tokyo and saw the country host an international meeting for the first time, Japan won eight of the 18 events contested.
Performances on the international stage gradually were improving and the Japan Amateur Sports Association joined what was then the International Amateur Athletic Federation in 1924 before handing over its membership to JAAF &ndash; then called the All-Japan Athletic Federation &ndash; when it was formed the following year.
Kinue Hitomi made headlines when setting world records in the long jump in 1926 and 1928 and, with the women&rsquo;s long jump not on the 1928 Olympic programme, showed her versatility by winning an 800m silver medal In Amsterdam.
However, an ever bigger landmark moment in Japanese athletics came on 2 August 1928 when Mikio Oda, who had finished sixth in the triple jump four years before in Paris, became Japan&rsquo;s first Olympic gold medallist in any sport, and Asia&rsquo;s first athletics champion, when he won the triple jump with 15.21m.
In 1931, Oda went on to set a world record of 15.58m and following his retirement after the 1932 Olympic Games, where he finished 12th, he remained involved in athletics all his life as a coach and technical official.
<h2>Nambu follows in the footsteps of Oda</h2>
At the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games, Oda was superseded by his compatriot Chuhei Nambu.
Nambu had set a long jump world record of 7.98m in 1931 &ndash; which remained an Asian record until 1970 &ndash; and went into that event as the favourite but had to settle for third place.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6049227db77d35b5c907b5bd.jpg" alt="Chuhei Nambu" />
Chuhei Nambu
</div>
However, he bounced back two days later to win the triple jump, improving Oda&rsquo;s mark with a fifth-round effort of 15.72m and becoming the only man to date to hold both the long and triple jump world records at the same time. World Athletics Heritage Plaques were awarded in 2022 to both Oda and Nambu and have been put on permanent display in the Japan Olympic Museum in Tokyo&rsquo;s Olympic Park.
Appropriately, the plaques overlook the former site of Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium in which Nambu set a world long jump record.
In 1936, Naoto Tajima became the third consecutive Japanese triple jumper to win at the Olympic Games, triumphing with a world record of16.00m.
Tokyo was awarded the 1940 Olympic Games, but the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War meant that in 1938 the Japanese government decided it was unable to host the Games.
However, 21 years later in 1959, in the wake of the success of the 1958 Asian Games held in Tokyo, the Japanese capital the was chosen as the host city of the 1964 Olympic Games.
<h2>1964 Olympics herald a new era</h2>
Kokichi Tsuburaya ended Japan&rsquo;s Olympic athletics medal draught &ndash; which stretched back to 1936 &ndash; by taking the bronze in the historic marathon won by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abebe Bikila.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60f8b257e27c88820e094e44.jpg" alt="Britain&rsquo;s Basil Heatley and Japan&rsquo;s Kokichi Tsuburaya in the Tokyo 1964 Olympic marathon" />
Japan&rsquo;s Kokichi Tsuburaya in the Tokyo 1964 Olympic marathon (&copy; IMAGO)
</div>
In the 60 years since those memorable Olympic Games, the first to be able to be seen around the world live as they happened, Japanese athletics has gone from strength to strength.
JAAF and their athletes have been major contributors towards the sport both on and off the track.
It is impossible to comprehensively list all its achievements in such a short space, but highlights include two outstanding World Championships: Tokyo in 1991 and Osaka in 2007.
Hiroshima hosted the 1994 Asian Games and, in the wake of the World Athletics Championships this summer, athletics will be the focal point of the 2026 Asian Games which will be held in the Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya.
<h2>Marathon triumphs, race walking victories</h2>
Among the Japanese stars of the past few decades, Hiromi Taniguchi won his country&rsquo;s first world title when he took the marathon title in front of an ecstatic home crowd in 1991.
His success was followed up over the classic distance when Junko Asari won the 1993 world marathon title and Hiromi Suzuki followed in her footsteps in 1997 before Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi won back-to-back Olympic marathon titles in 2000 and 2004.
The charismatic and popular Koji Murofushi, after silver in 2001 and bronze in 2003, completed his set of World Championships medals with a hammer victory in 2011 to add to his 2004 Olympic win.
In recent years, race walking has also become something of a Japanese speciality.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/637b8d03186c7472f51510ba.jpg" alt="Toshikazu Yamanishi at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22" />
Toshikazu Yamanishi at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Toshikazu Yamanishi and Yusuke Suzuki took the 2019 20km and 50km race walk world titles in the sweltering heat of Doha and Yamanishi successfully defended his crown three years later in Eugene.
Yamashini has started 2025 campaign in blistering fashion with a 20km race walk world record of 1:16:10 on home soil in Kobe just two weeks ago.
Like Kitaguchi, he will be hoping to add an extra radiance to the JAAF centenary celebrations with a victory in Tokyo.
Phil Minshull for World Athletics Heritage
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Later this year, the eyes of the athletics world will be fully focused on Japan with the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 taking place between 13-21 September.

Kitaguchi and Yamashini out to add lustre to JAAF centenary celebrations

As the countdown to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 reaches the thrilling 200-day mark, excitement is surging! To celebrate this major milestone, the Local Organising Committee, WCH Tokyo 25, hosted a spectacular event to reveal the name of the championship&rsquo;s official mascot. In an electrifying moment, it was announced that the energetic, Shiba Inu-inspired character will be called "Riku One"&mdash;a name embodying the spirit of competition, unity, and excellence!
<h3>The Birth of an Icon</h3>
To harness the creativity of Japan&rsquo;s future generation, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/tokyo25/news/news/wch-tokyo-25-official-mascot-tbs-to-develop-a-widely-loved-mascot-with-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a special mascot design workshop</a> was held last year at a Tokyo elementary school. Guided by the imaginative concepts and drawings of young students, Riku One, a vibrant, dynamic character representing the heart and soul of track and field was born!
For the grand unveiling, a life-sized Riku One made an unforgettable visit to the very school where it all began. The children erupted in cheers as the mascot engaged them in an interactive dance performance and an outdoor games session, creating a moment of pure joy and inspiration.
<h3>Revealing the Name of Riku One</h3>
The highly anticipated moment of the event featured special guests Yuji Oda, WCH Tokyo 25 Special Ambassador, and Kayoko Fukushi, World Championships marathon bronze medalist. Before a captivated audience of media, sponsors, and key stakeholders, <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/tokyo25/news/news/introducing-riku-one-wch-tokyo-25-celebrates-200dtg-with-mascot-naming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the winning name&mdash;"Riku One"&mdash;was proudly revealed!</a>
Following an intense public online vote, where an incredible 18,306 ballots were cast, "Riku One" secured victory with 7,804 votes. The name is rich with meaning:
<ul>
<li> &ldquo;Riku&rdquo; (陸) represents track and field.</li>
<li> &ldquo;One&rdquo; symbolizes first place, one second, one step, one throw, one jump, and the unity of relay teams through "All for One".</li>
<li> "One" is also a playful nod to the Japanese word for a dog&rsquo;s bark&mdash;"Wan!"</li>
</ul>
Reflecting on the announcement, Yuji Oda declared, "'Riku' for athletics and 'One' for first place&mdash;it's perfect! It aligns with my lifelong passion for witnessing the world's best and embodies the championship&rsquo;s theme, &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t miss a moment&rsquo;. Plus, it&rsquo;s so easy to remember!"
Kayoko Fukushi beamed, "It's adorable and full of meaning! The idea of striving for 'number one' fits beautifully with the championship&rsquo;s competitive spirit. Since the public played a role in naming it, I know &lsquo;Riku One&rsquo; will be cherished by all".
To cap off the celebration, Riku One burst into a lively "Riku One Dance"&mdash;a high-energy routine inspired by running, throwing, and jumping&mdash;delighting the audience and setting the tone for the months ahead.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67bfbeea8c1ed5652ff83ccb.jpg" alt="Revealing the Name of Riku One" width="800" height="533" />
<h3>Messages from the WCH Tokyo 25 Athlete Ambassadors　</h3>
To mark this 200-day milestone, top Japanese athletes shared their excitement and personal reflections.
Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, Japan&rsquo;s sprinting sensation, described Riku One as "a cute, purple character infused with Tokyo&rsquo;s past and future". He added, "Competing at a home World Championships is a dream come true. I can&rsquo;t wait to race in front of Japanese fans and will give it my all&mdash;cheer for us!"
Yuki Hashioka, long jump star, praised the mascot&rsquo;s eye-catching design and vowed to deliver his best: "Winter training is going great, and my focus is 100% on WCH Tokyo 25. Let&rsquo;s make history together!"
<a href="https://youtu.be/loncVhg3uk8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nozomi Tanaka</a>, Japan&rsquo;s record-breaking middle-distance runner, shared insights from her high-altitude training in Kenya: "I&rsquo;m challenging myself daily on the world stage. &lsquo;Riku One&rsquo; carries such a wonderful meaning&mdash;I can&rsquo;t wait to meet it in person!"
<a href="https://youtu.be/qINQTDfNlpo">Asuka Terada</a>, hurdling champion, added: "The journey to September is intensifying. &lsquo;Riku One&rsquo; captures the essence of striving for excellence. Let&rsquo;s make this championship unforgettable!"
<h3>Inspiring the Next Generation</h3>
The event wasn&rsquo;t just about celebration&mdash;it was about igniting the next generation&rsquo;s passion for athletics. In a special session with local elementary school students, Yuji Oda and Kayoko Fukushi introduced them to the excitement of world-class competition.
With Riku One leading the way, the children eagerly joined in a dynamic warm-up, learned running techniques from Fukushi, and practiced sprinting and agility exercises. Oda reflected, "Seeing world-class athletes up close can be life-changing. Some kids may not know much about athletics yet, but this could be the moment that sparks a lifelong love for the sport".
<h3>A Visit to Tokyo&rsquo;s Leadership</h3>
The excitement extended beyond the schoolyard as Yuji Oda and Riku One paid a courtesy visit to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office. Dressed in an elegant Edo purple blazer&mdash;the official color of WCH Tokyo 25&mdash;Governor Koike expressed her enthusiasm for the championship&rsquo;s growing momentum.
"Since Yuji Oda became Special Ambassador, we&rsquo;ve seen an incredible surge of excitement. Ticket sales have been phenomenal! I hope he continues to spread the message with his signature &lsquo;Oda phrases&rsquo;&mdash;we want this event to be unforgettable, especially for the younger generation".
Oda responded with heartfelt passion: "Having covered the World Championships for decades, this Tokyo edition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I want to see the stadium filled to capacity, with fans uniting in the thrill of world-class competition".
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67bebb294a064ecc4be3780f.jpg" alt="Mr. Oda and 'Riku One' paid a courtesy call on Governor Yuriko Koike." width="800" height="533" /> &copy;Tokyo Metropolitan Government
<h3>The Final Stretch Begins!</h3>
With just 200 days to go, the road to World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 is heating up! From 13 to 21 September 2025, the world&rsquo;s greatest athletes will compete on Japanese soil at the Japan National Stadium.
Join us for this electrifying journey with Riku One, a mascot that represents the spirit of the sport, the dreams of the next generation, and the unity of the entire athletics community.
The countdown is on so see you in Tokyo!
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

As the countdown to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 reaches the thrilling 200-day mark, excitement is surging! 

200 Days to Go! WCH Tokyo 25 Unveils Official Mascot Name in Grand Celebration

Olympic race walk champion Brian Pintado admits freely he&rsquo;s up against it to add a world title to his collection in 2025.
It&rsquo;s not just the opposition battling him to the finish line in Tokyo in September, but the fall-out from new-found fame.
Just a week ago, Pintado became the Ecuadorian face of a famous beer &ndash; one with zero alcohol, of course &ndash; and in the aftermath of topping the Paris podium, honours, awards, car endorsements, even a TV appearance on his country&rsquo;s Master Chef, with ceremonies thrown in, of course, have been a time thief on the 29-year-old.
Understandably, Ecuador was delighted to have a second hero 28 years after Jefferson Perez won his country&rsquo;s first Olympic gold in the same 20km event in Atlanta. It became even better when, six days after taking gold over 20km, Pintado and teammate Glenda Morej&oacute;n claimed silver in the mixed marathon relay.
But Pintado now has to find the balancing act of making sure a glamorous life doesn&rsquo;t detract from the hard yards.
&ldquo;My preparation is going to be difficult,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;because now I have other activities to do: commercial activities with my sponsors, recognitions of my country and my city; social events. And, as far as possible, I am looking for a way to focus all my energies on my preparation.&rdquo;
To help him do so, he has the &lsquo;best coach in the world&rsquo;.
Other athletes will probably point to their own mentors as being the &lsquo;best&rsquo;, but Pintado insists much of his success is down to Andres Chocho, himself an established race walker with a 3:42:57 South American record at 50km and 1:20:07 for the shorter distance.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67bedb053217d82fc7b8448a.jpg" alt="Brian Pintado at the World Championships in Oregon" />
Brian Pintado at the World Championships in Oregon (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
Chocho has a proven track record as a coach. His wife, Erica Sena, holds the Brazilian record at 1:26:59, and her three appearances in the top eight at the World Championships all came under Chocho&rsquo;s tutelage.
&ldquo;Andr&eacute;s is the best coach in the world,&rdquo; Pintado insists. &ldquo;He is my mentor and an example to follow. &ldquo;As for Jefferson, he has been a great reference since I was a child.&rdquo;
Pintado&rsquo;s progress has been as steady as Chocho&rsquo;s guiding hand.
Leading up to the Olympics, Pintado&rsquo;s PB each calendar year from 2021 was 1:20:15, 1:19:34, 1:18:26, and 1:17:54 at the La Coru&ntilde;a leg of the World Race Walking Tour in 2024.
It backed up the world 35km silver he earned in Budapest in 2023 in 2:24:34, just four seconds behind Spain&rsquo;s &Aacute;lvaro Martin.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67beda883217d82fc7b84487.jpg" alt="Brian Pintado at the World Championships in Budapest" />
Brian Pintado at the World Championships in Budapest (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
In other words, one would be pushed to say his gold came out of the blue.
The interesting thing is Ecuador has only won four Olympic athletics medals: all of them at race walking.
Perez backed up gold in 1996 with silver in 2008, then Pintado&rsquo;s 20km gold and relay silver alongside Morej&oacute;n in Paris is the sum total of a country with a population of 18 million.
In fact, Ecuador&rsquo;s entire medal haul comes from just one city: Cuenca, towards the south of the country. At 2,550 metres above sea level, it comes with a head start for endurance athletes.
But Pintado has a theory why race walking thrives in the area.
&ldquo;We are very good at it,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;Since we are little, we travel many kilometres walking through Cuenca, the city where Jeff and I were born, and Glenda lives.
&ldquo;It is very small and gives you the possibility to walk anywhere. And that helps you; you are training from a very young age without realising it.&rdquo;
And if that resonates with a regime enjoyed, or more likely endured, by African schoolchildren who later become Olympic stars, then Pintado is only too ready to endorse the benefits.
&ldquo;I travelled three kilometres every day to go to train in the morning and three back,&rdquo; he recalls. &ldquo;Then I walked another three kilometres to go to school, and another three kilometres back and so on every day since I was five years old.&rdquo;
In the past month, Pintado has been back training &ndash; and racing &ndash; in earnest, and thereby parted from another pleasant distraction; time spent with wife Karen, son, Daniel, and daughter, Montserrath, &lsquo;Montse&rsquo;.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66b322bf8a7d3162fcb775e6.jpg" alt="Brian Pintado in the marathon race walk mixed relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games" />
Brian Pintado in the marathon race walk mixed relay at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
During the Olympic 20km in Paris, he wore a "necklace of my son running beside me&rdquo; and "a scarf that my grandmother gave me".
After the race, he added: &rdquo;It was tough to be away from my family, my wife, my kids, for four months and just seeing them through a screen.
"But they were with me throughout the race. I had a picture of them with me.&rdquo;
Anyone catching sight of Pintado&rsquo;s arms will have noticed the unusual tattoos on the right. It&rsquo;s yet more affiliation and love for his country.
&ldquo;I just did them for pleasure, but throughout my career they have made sense,&rdquo; he explained. &ldquo;I have mountains on my arm that refer to the Andes mountain range; a full moon, because I like to see the mountains with the full moon. I have the Olympic rings on my chest, because for me being in the Olympic Games was always a dream, but I never imagined winning them. Amazing!&rdquo;
Pintado opened his 2025 campaign last weekend with victory over 35km at the Ecuadorian Race Walking Championships, clocking a comfortable 2:31:56. His path towards the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 will include three stops on the World Race Walking Tour, including a return to La Coru&ntilde;a, scene of his 20km PB.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll compete in the 35km in Dudince (22 March), then I plan to go to Rio Maior, (12 April) and La Coru&ntilde;a, (7 June), then, finally, the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67bedcc16b2a1611244ca2c4.jpg" alt="Brian Pintado celebrates his Olympic triumph" />
Brian Pintado celebrates his Olympic triumph (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
</div>
And if all goes well and lightning strikes twice, will he repeat the famous Cristiano Ronaldo &lsquo;Siiiiii!&rdquo; goal-scoring salute Pintado emulated at the finish line in Paris?
&ldquo;I don't plan to do that celebration. In fact, I didn&rsquo;t plan to do it in Paris either, it just flowed in the moment.&rdquo;
But you can bet he will celebrate with his family again, and maybe even a sponsored beer &ndash; non-alcoholic, of course.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics

Olympic race walk champion Brian Pintado admits freely he’s up against it to add a world title to his collection in 2025.

National hero Pintado sets sights on Tokyo

With only 200 days left until the highly anticipated World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, we're thrilled to unveil a major milestone in the event preparations: meet Riku One, the official mascot! This exciting moment marks a giant leap forward in the countdown to what promises to be the most spectacular sporting event of 2025, as Tokyo gears up to once again take center stage on the world&rsquo;s biggest athletic platform.
Created in collaboration with World Athletics' media partner and WCH Tokyo 25 principal supporter, TBS Television, Riku One is a mascot full of energy and charm, inspired by Japan&rsquo;s beloved Shiba Inu. Known for its agility, resilience, and loyalty, the Shiba Inu embodies the spirit of competition that will define the championships. The name Riku One was selected through a nationwide vote, allowing fans from all over Japan to play a part in shaping this iconic figure. With 7,804 votes, Riku One triumphed, followed closely by Sorashiba with 7,454 votes and Pochichi with 3,048 votes. A total of 18,306 votes were cast between January 17 and February 11, proving that the excitement for Tokyo 25 is already in full swing.
This unveiling marks the start of an electrifying new chapter in the lead-up to WCH Tokyo 25. As the clock ticks down, Tokyo is preparing to welcome 2,000 of the world&rsquo;s best athletes, all competing for glory in what will undoubtedly be a global celebration of sport. Riku One will be the face of the championships, fueling passion and enthusiasm among fans, while embodying the heart and soul of athletics.
Four years after the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the city is set to shine once again, filling the stands with energy and excitement. Tokyo is ready to host the World Athletics Championships for the third time, becoming the only city in history to do so. This 20th edition will be a game-changer, not only for Japan but for the entire world of athletics.
With Riku One leading the charge, the countdown to Tokyo 25 is officially on. The world is watching, and every moment of this journey will be nothing short of sugoi (amazing)!
Riku One blends the Japanese word for athletics, "riku", with the concept of "one" &mdash; symbolising everything from first place to a single second, a single step, and the unity of athletes and fans around the world. It also carries a nod to the sound of a dog's bark&mdash;&lsquo;wan&rsquo; or &lsquo;one&rsquo; in Japanese&mdash;adding a touch of fun and personality to the spirit of the championships. Let the games begin!
Don't miss out on the biggest global sporting event of the year! Grab your ticket to history before it's too late! Click here to find your seat <a href="https://tokyo25-lp.pia.jp/index_en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://tokyo25-lp.pia.jp/index_en.html</a>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">　&nbsp;Mascot Animation</h3>
Riku One, the official mascot of WCH Tokyo 25 makes their much-awaited debut in Tokyo!
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-cql74bCP_4" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">　&nbsp;&lsquo;Making-of&rsquo; video</h3>
Watch the &lsquo;making-of&rsquo; video below to see the workshop where the children contributed their own unique mascot design.
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67b877081425d54fc90faed6.jpg" alt="Riku One, Tokyo 25 official mascot" width="900" height="231" />
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The Tokyo 2025 World Athletics Championships mascot has been named! Riku One is a mascot full of energy and charm, inspired by Japan’s beloved Shiba Inu. 

WCH Tokyo 25 celebrates 200 days to go to and unveils official mascot name

Japan&rsquo;s Toshikazu Yamanishi clocked a superb 1:16:10* to smash the men&rsquo;s world 20km race walk record at the Japanese 20km Race Walking Championships, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Bronze event, in Kobe on Sunday (16).
With that performance the two-time world champion improved the previous world record of 1:16:36 set by his compatriot Yusuke Suzuki in Nomi in 2015 by 26 seconds - and the winner never looked the slightest bit bothered by his effort.
In fact, Yamanishi was sharing a joke with lapped athletes over the final kilometre to come home in style.
As befits tradition, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist &ndash; who had a previous PB of 1:17:15 set in 2019 &ndash; stopped immediately after crossing the line to bow to all four points of the compass. The world is his own for the time being, and his renaissance is complete.
A poor, by his standards, 2023 was rekindled too late for him to make the Japanese Olympic team for Paris, but his World Race Walking Tour win in La Coruna last May was just the uplift the 29-year-old needed.
There he clocked 1:17:47 against a world-class field, most of whom went on to compete in Paris. But nothing suggested the bespectacled race walker would produce this.
It had been raining in Kobe but was a fresh 7 degrees at the gun with the sun gamely trying to peep through the clouds. Several athletes wore arm warmers as they raced among the leading throng of 20 who were clear after the first 500m.
Even the first 1km lap was a nifty 3:48.
The main contenders were immediately to the front, with Yamanishi, Hiroto Jusho, Satoshi Maruo, Keisuke Hara and Ryo Hamanshi among those with their noses out front by the end of a second kilometre in 7:48. Maruo and Yamanishi were spearheading the charge, but as they clocked 11:30 for 3km they still had plenty of company.
Eight became four by 5km (19:09). Yamanishi, Hamanishi, Yuta Koga and Maruo were together, with Kento Yoshikara (PB 1:19:12) straining to rejoin the leaders. By 8km, Koga &ndash; eighth at the Olympics last year &ndash; had become uncoupled, which was no big surprise considering halfway was an eye-watering 38:21.
Hamanishi was next to suffer as his shoulders tightened with just slightest of gaps forged as they passed 12km.
One lap later and Yamanishi put the hammer down. He sliced open a gap of 12 seconds in just half a lap. By 15km that gap had become a chasm.
Yamanishi clocked 57:24 at 15km with the struggling Maruo and Hamanishi 24 seconds behind. Over the next couple of laps, Yamanishi was forced to go wide around the turns at either end of the 1km loop to pass not only lapped men but several women.
It phased him not one bit.
Out on his own, the leader was clearly on course for the world record as he reached 18km. Behind him, the gap between second and third was closing slightly, but Maruo still held a telling 13-second advantage over Hamanishi.
There was no doubt about the winner, who was congratulated by Italy's Tokyo Olympic champion Massimo Stano at the finish, and Maruo also cleaved himself a massive PB as he came home in 1:17:24. Behind them was a rejuvenated Yoshikawa, who clocked 1:17:38, and then Hamanishi, in 1:17:53.
In the open race, Brazil's Olympic silver medallist Caio Bonfim crossed the line in 1:17:37 to improve his own national record.
To underscore Japan's strength in depth, 11 athletes went under 1:20:00 and a massive 47 broke the 1:30:00 mark.
Yamanishi&rsquo;s bonus was the outright prize of a place in Japan&rsquo;s team for the home World Championships, while Maruo&rsquo;s terrific effort should also see him make the relatively short 230-mile journey from Kobe to Tokyo in September.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67b1b763de1359ee6a68334c.jpeg" alt="Toshikazu Yamanishi celebrates his world 20km race walk record with Massimo Stano" />
Toshikazu Yamanishi celebrates his world 20km race walk record with Massimo Stano (&copy; JAAF / Ikumi Kodama)
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"I&rsquo;m glad 'time' came along with my efforts today," said&nbsp;Yamanishi. "The guys made a good rhythm in the first half of the race and I figured I&rsquo;d make a move in the latter part of the race. My movement didn&rsquo;t really feel right in the beginning, it wasn&rsquo;t easy, but I was able to make the adjustments to find the right rhythm. When I was planning my race, whatever happened in the race I was aiming for the world record.&nbsp;
"With my performance today, I was able to express my appreciation towards my supporters who stuck along even during the last season when I was struggling."
<h2>Fujii sets national record</h2>
On a morning of landmarks, the women&rsquo;s 20km race walk also produced a Japanese record for Nanako Fujii.
The race was even more processional than the men&rsquo;s, with the record Fuji eclipsed having been set by the athlete finishing second in Kobe.
The winner&rsquo;s 1:26:33 heft a big chunk from the 1:27:41 recorded by Kumiko Okada in 2019.
Okada this time came home in 1:28:17: her best since she set that national mark in La Coruna, but an agonising 17 seconds outside her own federation&rsquo;s requirements for the World Championships team in Tokyo. However, this heartening performance still leaves the 33-year-old time to qualify.
To underline gaps throughout the field, third was the fast-finishing Yukiko Umeno in 1:31:02, nonetheless a PB by 1:19.
Fuji, Okada and five others were away and gone from the start. A time of 4:22 at the first check was their reward and they were well within the qualifying time for the World Championships.
Barely visible among the men, Okada and Fuji were cutting the rest adrift from lap two.
By 5km, Fuji had shot away on her own to record 21:43, with Okada five seconds back and Ayane Yanai three seconds behind her. They were the only three to dip under 22 minutes.
At halfway, and riding the coattails of lapped men, Fuji had clocked an impressive 43:25 to remain ahead of Okada who passed that point in 43:55. Yanai, though something of a rising star, was nearly a minute behind at that stage.
The gaps from first to fourth place at 15km were around a minute each. But a race that started 20 minutes after the men&rsquo;s may have helped finishing times as the faster women clearly benefitted from passing the struggling men.
Even the winner felt the demand of the last two laps.
Fuji&rsquo;s style became strained for the first time; her face etched with the effort as she glanced at her watch anxiously.
But there was never any doubt she was the second race walker of the day to carve her own piece of history.
Paul Warburton for World Athletics
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-race-walking-tour/calendar-results/7216875/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Results</a>
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
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Japan’s Toshikazu Yamanishi clocked a superb 1:16:10* to smash the men’s world 20km race walk record at the Japanese 20km Race Walking Championships, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Bronze event, in Kobe on Sunday (16).

Yamanishi breaks world 20km race walk record in Kobe

On top of sport&rsquo;s highest mountain, Nina Kennedy can&rsquo;t help but gaze through the clouds above the view. With rare air pumping through her lungs, the Olympic champion can sense a summit where few, if any, have been before.
The pole vaulter is fuelled by curiosity. With the Olympic, world, Diamond League and Commonwealth crowns all currently under her ruthless reign &ndash; Kennedy sets the scene for 2025 as a year where she has little to prove and everything to explore.
Having spent recent years exposing the limits of her rivals, the Australian is now in search of her own. Sitting eighth on the all-time list at 4.91m, Kennedy is naturally intrigued by one of athletics&rsquo; most exclusive clubs.
That club is headed by world record-holder Yelena Isinbayeva at 5.06m and includes Jennifer Suhr (5.03m), Anzhelika Sidorova (5.01m) and Sandi Morris (5.00m) &ndash; the only women in history to have cleared five metres in the event.
&ldquo;What is really motivating me is the fact that I don&rsquo;t know what my potential is in this sport &ndash; I don&rsquo;t know what my limit is. The last few years have been all about winning when it counts and I never really had to think about heights,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;I think I can be a five-metre jumper. After that, you just go up a pole and you are attempting the world record, right? I&rsquo;m not saying I&rsquo;m going to do it, but it&rsquo;s definitely something I have thought about.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/66b3cd568e29124fca56808e.jpg" alt="Nina Kennedy in the pole vault at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games" />
Nina Kennedy in the pole vault at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (&copy; Getty Images)
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On paper, Kennedy&rsquo;s Olympic campaign appears as golden as its outcome. The 27-year-old coasted to eight consecutive victories and soared over bars of 4.90m and 4.88m to win the Olympic and Wanda Diamond League titles respectively, but things were far from perfect behind closed doors.
With a stress fracture in her back from April for the third consecutive year, Kennedy was reduced to jumping once per week and a modified programme indefinitely.
&ldquo;Genetically I have a pretty interestingly shaped spine and the event just demands so much force through specific joints. When I finished the season, it had cracked 80 per cent of the way through,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;I had to decide on the attitude I wanted to adopt moving forward. It would have been easy to play the victim card, but nothing was going to get in my way because no Olympic campaign is perfect.&rdquo;
Embodying what it means to work &ldquo;smarter not harder&rdquo;, Kennedy walked the tightrope of risk and reward for months on end to become the ninth Australian woman in history to win Olympic gold in athletics &ndash; placing her name alongside modern greats Cathy Freeman and Sally Pearson this century.
&ldquo;Even hearing my name out loud in that sentence is crazy to me. You think of the people who have come before you and how they are such legends, but it&rsquo;s so hard to think the same way about yourself,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;When I started day one of training last year, I recorded myself saying that I was going to win the Olympic Games. I have never really shared that before but that was my thing.&rdquo;
A former world U20 record-holder, there is no denying that Kennedy possesses immense talent. The punchy pole vaulter&rsquo;s trademark style is founded on speed, power and coordination &ndash; but she speaks with the most pride about the weapons in her arsenal that have been earned rather than gifted.
&ldquo;Anyone who wins any medal at the Olympics is talented, otherwise everyone would do it. I think about how long I have been doing this sport and the lengths that I have gone to; I have done a lot of work on myself and my life. You name it &ndash; I have worked on it,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;I have let go of the fear of what people think. I know that I&rsquo;m going to be proud of myself if I do the job that&rsquo;s at hand and disappointed if I don&rsquo;t. I started doing things for myself and stopped caring about what might be said by other people or written in the media.&rdquo;
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/64e675c2ab70fec8d744dcf0.jpg" alt="Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23" />
Nina Kennedy and Katie Moon at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (&copy; Getty Images)
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The World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 to be hosted from 13-21 September is a natural goal for the Australian who shared gold with USA&rsquo;s Katie Moon at the 2023 instalment in Budapest.
Compounding Kennedy&rsquo;s world title defence is a return to the Japan National Stadium, where she competed at the Olympic Games and slumped to 22nd place overall in qualifying with a 4.40m clearance.
&ldquo;I have definitely thought about rewriting the narrative of Tokyo and that stadium. I have some really bad memories there and it would be cool to create some new ones,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
With a wealth of knowledge under her belt, the Olympic champion plans to make minor adjustments to her training by &ldquo;thinking outside the square&rdquo; but hopes a shift in mindset will lead to longevity and uncharted territory.
&ldquo;I was so hyper focused last year to the point that it was probably a little bit toxic. That&rsquo;s just the truth. It&rsquo;s definitely what got me to the Olympic gold, but I know that it&rsquo;s not sustainable for the next four years for me personally,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;This season I&rsquo;m trying to relax, not in my training or competitions, but more just loosening up and enjoying what I do. I&rsquo;m at a stage now where I&rsquo;m no longer figuring it out, it&rsquo;s about how high I can jump which is such a privilege.&rdquo;
Despite the endless variables in one of sport&rsquo;s most unique events, Kennedy finds her calmest moments on the runway. At her absolute best, the icy competitor freezes time in mid-air before landing with a solitary but prolonged first pump to her team.
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67b45c45c26a4cbe5e581d8c.jpg" alt="Nina Kennedy celebrates her Olympic title win in Paris" />
Nina Kennedy celebrates her Olympic title win in Paris (&copy; AFP / Getty Images)
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And on her left arm, a tattoo of 'm/b' to remind herself of her greatest strength.
&ldquo;It stands for mind over body. My time in the sport hasn&rsquo;t always been roses and there were a few years where I hated it and wanted to quit. I met a really great psychologist who gave me my power back and taught me how to think properly,&rdquo; Kennedy said.
&ldquo;Being able to see the sport in a different light again was a really special time in my life.&rdquo;
That light looks set to keep shining bright in 2025.
Lachlan Moorhouse for World Athletics

On top of sport’s highest mountain, Nina Kennedy can’t help but gaze through the clouds above the view

Beyond Olympic gold with pole vault champion Kennedy

SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES CO., LTD. (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Ikuji Kayaki) has been announced today as an Event Supporter (Category: Security Services and Planning) of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
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<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67b52531c169b175bdb18095.jpg" alt="SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES CO., LTD. " width="500" height="106" />
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■ Comments by Ikuji Kayaki (Representative Director, SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES CO., LTD.)
We are delighted to be involved as an Event Supporter of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, a prestigious event that will showcase the excitement and inspiration of sport to the world.
ALSOK have contributed extensively to the security of events ranging from local to major international competitions as professionals in the protection of society. For this event as well, we will do our utmost to help create the best possible stage where athletes can push their limits and spectators can share in the excitement.
We sincerely hope that this remarkable event, which unites people all over the world through the power of sport and the charm of Tokyo, will run safely and smoothly and be a great success.
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■ Comments by Mitsugi Ogata (President, The Local Organising Committee of World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25)
We are delighted to welcome SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES (ALSOK) as an Event Supporter of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
ALSOK is a leading Japanese security company that has been providing high quality security services since its establishment, contributing to the safety of not only individuals and companies, but also society. ALSOK also has experience in managing major international sporting events and large-scale international events and is actively involved in supporting sporting activities. We are very encouraged to have ALSOK as a partner in supporting the safe and secure delivery of the world's most prestigious events.
The LOC and ALSOK will work together to deliver the championships where many spectators from home and abroad will be able to experience the power of athletics live, and where athletes from around the world will be able to show even greater strength under the cheers of the packed crowds at the National Stadium.
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<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/67af0e13c94541c74e19ccc6.jpg" alt="Sponsor_EN" width="600" height="759" />
**as of 18 February, 2025
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SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES CO.,LTD.  has been announced today as an Event Supporter (Category: Security Services and Planning) of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES (ALSOK) announced as WCH Tokyo 25 Supporter

General ticket sales have now opened for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, set for 13-21 September.
More than 250,000 presale tickets have already been sold. With the start of general sales, fans around the world will have an opportunity to secure seats at the biggest international sporting event of the year.
Ticket prices start at just 2500 yen (&euro;15.50, $16) for morning session seats and go up to 50,000 yen (&euro;311, $323) for weekend evening session premium seats.
Tickets can be purchased at <a href="https://tokyo25-lp.pia.jp/index_en.html?utm_source=loc&amp;utm_medium=tokyo25_website&amp;utm_campaign=20250131_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tokyo25-lp.pia.jp</a>
Finals will be held in <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/tokyo25/timetable" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 of the 14 sessions across the nine days of action</a> with champions crowned and medals awarded in 49 disciplines against the backdrop of Tokyo's packed-out National Stadium.
The championships will kick off with the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 35km race walks on the morning of Friday 13 September, then eight days later the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s 4x100m finals will bring down the curtain on the global showpiece event.

General ticket sales have now opened for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, set for 13-21 September.

Tickets on sale for World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

<h2>Japanese TV Star Yuji Oda Shines in New Poster Campaign!</h2>
The Local Organising Committee of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 (WCH Tokyo 25) is delighted to announce that general ticket sales for the much-anticipated event will launch today, Friday 31 January at 18:00 JST. So far, over 250,000 tickets have been sold for the Tokyo Championships, and with the start of general sales, the world will have the opportunity to secure their seats at one of the biggest and most exciting sporting events in 2025.
To build excitement across Japan, WCH Tokyo 25 has released three promotional posters featuring Special Ambassador, Japanese actor Yuji Oda.&nbsp;
The posters showcases Yuji Oda, alongside the event's powerful tagline and design elements drawn from the visual identity that will define the atmosphere of the Japan National Stadium. These vibrant designs are meant to inspire a sense of unity and excitement, reflecting the hope that fans from all over Japan will come together at the National Stadium this September to witness and be part of this historic event.
WCH Tokyo 25 Special Ambassador Yuji Oda shared his thoughts on the poster unveiling, stating, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m honored to promote the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 as a Special Ambassador. I hope everyone will come to the Japan National Stadium to witness history being made and I look forward to seeing you all there!&rdquo;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/679c5aad550e362f5888056d.jpg" alt="Special Ambasador Yuji Oda" width="800" height="400" />
<h1>Ticket Information</h1>
Please refer to the <a href="https://tokyo25-lp.pia.jp/index_en.html?utm_source=loc&amp;utm_medium=tokyo25_website&amp;utm_campaign=20250131_en">WCH Tokyo 25 TICKET INFORMATION SITE</a> for ticketing information and highlights of each session.
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WCH Tokyo 25 Tickets Now on Sale - Japanese TV Star, Yuji Oda Shines in Poster Campaign! 

WCH Tokyo 25 Tickets Now on Sale

&bull; Honda one of several new sponsorship agreements signed in 2024
&bull; Emphasis on collaborative partnerships has seen World Athletics' income grow 25% in the last four years&nbsp;
<div data-name="article-container">
 As part of its <a href="https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/honda-sponsorship-world-championships-tokyo-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sponsorship agreement with Honda Motor Co Ltd. (Honda)</a>, World Athletics was today (23) presented with a new electric SUV, the Honda e:Ny1.&nbsp;
This lease is part of the World Athletics and Honda sponsorship agreement signed last November ahead of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, which will take place from 13-21 September 2025.&nbsp;
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe received the keys to an Advance model at World Athletics&rsquo; headquarters in Monaco. Kotaro Ishii, Assistant to the President of Honda Motor Europe, and Paul Collignon, Marketing Director of Honda France, were in attendance for the handover.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I would like to thank Honda Motor and Honda France for this 2025 season loan,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;The name Honda is synonymous worldwide with quality and reliability, and they are always ahead in terms of environmental and safety advancements which aligns with our sustainability goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Our relationship with Honda is a great example of a collaborative partnership, rather than just a transactional one, with shared values and common goals that benefit both of us, our athletes, and our planet.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;Honda France is proud to provide our latest BEV e:Ny1 to World Athletics,&rdquo; said Ishii. &ldquo;This e:Ny1 aligns perfectly with the sustainability objectives of World Athletics, providing zero emission mobility with a silent and comfortable ride.&rdquo;&nbsp;
As part of the existing agreement between Honda and World Athletics, Honda will provide vehicles from its electrified fleet to serve as the official mode of transport for the championships &ndash; contributing to World Athletics&rsquo; sustainability goals. The official vehicles will serve various purposes, including leading road events and transporting athletes and officials involved in the championships.&nbsp;
This valued partnership will ensure the smooth running of the World Championships in Tokyo. Honda&rsquo;s investment in World Athletics &ndash; one of several new partnerships in recent years &ndash; also underlines the vibrancy and appeal of athletics to commercial partners which has seen World Athletics' income grow strongly by more than 25% in the last four years.&nbsp;
This World Athletics sponsorship agreement supports two important areas for World Athletics, income growth and sustainability &ndash; a key area of focus for World Athletics as part of its &ldquo;Athletics for a Better World&rdquo; initiative, an ISO 2012-standard programme which was recognised last year as part of the BBC Green Awards.&nbsp;
World Athletics
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As part of its sponsorship agreement with Honda Motor Co Ltd. (Honda), World Athletics was today (23) presented with a new electric SUV, the Honda e:Ny1. 

World Athletics presented with electric SUV as part of Honda sponsorship agreement

World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023

World Athletics Championships

<h2 style="text-align: center;">WELCOME TO THE&nbsp; WORLD ATHLETICS</h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">CHAMPIONSHIPS TOKYO 25</h2>
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The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from 13-21 September 2025.
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More than 2000 athletes from some 200 countries will come to Tokyo to take part in one of the world's biggest sporting events.
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The first event was held in Helsinki, Finland.
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Tokyo will host the event for the second time and for the first time since 1991.&nbsp;
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Ambassadors for WCH Tokyo 25 announced

“The World – Tokyo – Connecting.”  World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 logo unveiled

Two years from now, in 2025, the next heated battle will take place in Tokyo

World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 LOC holds founding board meeting

Topics

THE OFFICIAL TOKYO TRAVEL GUIDE

GO TOKYO

Tokyo Brand Official Website

Tokyo Tokyo -Old meets New-

The Official Japan Guide

Travel Japan

Qualification system

Certified road races (12 February 2025)

Qualification

Customs & freight manual

Documents

Learn more

WELCOME TO THE  WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS TOKYO 25!
The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from 13-21 September 2025.
More than 2000 athletes from some 200 countries will come to Tokyo to take part in one of the world's biggest sporting events. The first event was held in Helsinki, Finland.Tokyo will host the event for the second time and for the first time since 1991. 

Asahi Shimbun Company announced as WCH Tokyo 25 Supplier

Team Leaders’ Site Visit Held Ahead of World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25

Day 8 Evening Session Sold Out with Six Months Still to Go!

Riku One’s Special Feature Page is Live! Come Meet Riku One!

Katsuki claims 35km race walk victory in Nomi