Agathe Guillemot produced a perfectly timed finish to claim the women&rsquo;s road mile title at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, clocking a world-leading European record of 4:22.74 on Saturday (19).
The French 27-year-old remained patient as a large lead group stayed together for much of the V-shaped course through Copenhagen, before moving to the front with little more than 20 seconds of racing remaining and kicking decisively for the first individual global title of her career.
Three years after taking silver at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Freweyni Hailu again finished second, this time in a season&rsquo;s best of 4:24.35. Kenya&rsquo;s Mirriam Cherop earned bronze in 4:25.71, also a season&rsquo;s best, while home favourite Annemarie Nissen delighted the Danish crowd by finishing fourth in a PB of 4:26.78.
Guillemot&rsquo;s winning time took almost half a second off the previous European record of 4:23.25 set by Jemma Reekie in Dusseldorf earlier this month and moved the Frenchwoman to fourth on the world all-time list.
Hailu, one of the most experienced athletes in the field, was prominent from the outset alongside USA&rsquo;s Addison Wiley. Behind them, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Birke Haylom and Guillemot were content to tuck into a tightly packed group as the athletes headed along &Oslash;sterbrogade.
The Copenhagen course sent the athletes out along &Oslash;sterbrogade before turning them back towards the finish near Parken Stadium, and with nobody willing to force the issue early, the pack remained largely intact through 800m in 2:18.
The turn was reached with about 2:44 on the clock and still there was no decisive move. Hailu and Wiley remained among the leading figures, while Guillemot stayed close enough to react without committing too soon.
Her patience proved crucial. With 3:57 on the clock and the finish line in sight, Guillemot swept into the lead and accelerated hard. She quickly created daylight between herself and the chasing pack and maintained the advantage all the way to the line.
She raised her arms after crossing in 4:22.74, bringing to a close a season that has taken her across track, short track, cross country and now road racing.
Copenhagen was the third major meeting in as many weekends for Guillemot. She had finished sixth over 1500m at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels before placing eighth at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 seven days later.
Her year had already included mixed relay silver at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, fourth place over 1500m at the World Indoor Championships and a French 1500m record of 3:56.24 in Paris in June.
&ldquo;I felt great during the race," said Guillemot. "In the first part I didn&rsquo;t want to make any extra effort, so I just followed the others. After the turn, I kept pushing and pushing, and I believed in it.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s nice to finish with a medal &ndash; and even nicer to finish with gold. It has been a very long season, with a lot of races and some difficult moments. It wasn&rsquo;t a perfect season, but it had a perfect ending.
&ldquo;I love running," added Guillemot, who started out as a heptathlete before moving to the middle distances. "I love cross country, indoors and outdoors, and I like doing lots of different things. Maybe I&rsquo;ll run the European Cross Country Championships in December. Longer distances are good for me.&rdquo;
Behind her, Hailu showed once again how well suited she is to the road mile. The Ethiopian had run 4:23.06 when finishing second to Diribe Welteji at the 2023 championships in Riga and returned to the same step of the podium in Copenhagen.
One of the biggest cheers of the race, meanwhile, was reserved for Nissen. The Dane stayed with the leading contenders throughout and was rewarded with fourth place in 4:26.78.
Kenya&rsquo;s Naomi Korir followed in a PB of 4:29.15, just ahead of Jamaica&rsquo;s Adelle Tracey, who also set a PB with 4:29.30. Australia&rsquo;s Linden Hall was seventh in an area record of 4:29.36, with Canada&rsquo;s Lucia Stafford eighth in a PB of 4:29.51, one place ahead of her sister Gabriela DeBues-Stafford.
Wiley's 10th place in 4:31.02 helped USA to the mixed team title alongside Gracie Hyde, who was one place behind her compatriot in the individual race (4:31.92), and Yared Nuguse and Vincent Ciattei, who respectively finished second (3:52.33) and eighth (3:54.62) in the men's race.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
<h3>Leading individual results</h3>
1 Agathe Guillemot (FRA) 4:22.74 2 Freweyni Hailu (ETH) 4:24.35 3 Mirriam Cherop (KEN) 4:25.71 4 Annemarie Nissen (DEN) 4:26.78 5 Naomi Korir (KEN) 4:29.15 6 Adelle Tracey (JAM) 4:29.30 7 Linden Hall (AUS) 4:29.36 8 Lucia Stafford (CAN) 4:29.51 9 Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (CAN) 4:30.59 10 Addison Wiley (USA) 4:31.02
<a href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/results/women/road-mile/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a>
<h3>Mixed team medallists</h3>
1 United States (Addison Wiley,&nbsp;Gracie Hyde,&nbsp;Yared Nuguse, Vincent Ciattei) 16:49.89 2 Australia (Linden Hall, Sarah Billings, Oliver Hoare, Jude Thomas) 16:50.61 3 Kenya (Mirriam Cherop, Naomi Korir, Brian Komen, Kyumbe Munguti) 16:51.36

World Athletics Road Running Championships

Coverage of the women's mile at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

Guillemot kicks to world road mile title in Copenhagen

A long and extraordinary track season has barely ended before a new battle takes place in Copenhagen this weekend. The surface is different, but the runners are the same: pure world class all the way.&nbsp; &ldquo;These road races are just special. No matter what happens, I am just happy to go out and run. It&rsquo;s my last race of the season, so I am excited to see if I can win,&rdquo; Yared Nuguse said at Friday&rsquo;s press conference ahead of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in the Danish capital.&nbsp; The Olympic 1500-meter bronze medalist from the USA will run the Road Mile, which kicks off the championships on Saturday. Nuguse is indeed expected to be at the front, ranking second in the world over the track mile this season.&nbsp; The women&rsquo;s Road Mile is scheduled just before, where Agathe Guillemot from France will be a contender for a medal.&nbsp; &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait for tomorrow. I am hoping for a medal. That would be the perfect way to finish the season,&rdquo; Guillemot told the press in French.&nbsp; The 27-year-old runner will go up against familiar faces from many of this season&rsquo;s Diamond League races. Among them&mdash;to name a few&mdash;is Ethiopia&rsquo;s Freweyni Hailu, who won the 3000m in Bislett and the 5000m in Brussels during the season.&nbsp; Scandinavian stars in the line-up&nbsp; The Road Mile on Saturday will be followed by the 5K. With Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men&rsquo;s field, that race will naturally draw extra attention. Norway&rsquo;s European and recently crowned Ultimate Champion over 5000 meters was not present at the press conference. Instead, another Scandinavian star lit up the room: Andreas Almgren.&nbsp; The Swede rose to fame last month by winning the European 10,000-meter Championship in spectacular fashion. Now, it is time for a fast road race when the championships culminate on Sunday with the Half Marathon.&nbsp; &ldquo;I am very excited about this race. My entire season until now was focused on the European Championships. Track races have their own charm, but this half marathon will be something special. It is the first step in an exciting fall. After Copenhagen, I will go straight to the USA to prepare for the marathon,&rdquo; Almgren said, referring to his newly revealed debut at the New York City Marathon in November.&nbsp; The World Half Marathon Championships have historically been an East African affair, but with Almgren&rsquo;s presence, that could change. Among the favorites is Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir, who won the CPH Half last year in 58:23&mdash;a personal best he lowered to 58:08 in March when he finished second in Lisbon. His compatriot Daniel Ebenyo&mdash;silver medalist at the 2023 World Half Marathon Championships&mdash;is another strong Kenyan card.&nbsp; World record holder has her eyes on the title&nbsp; So, of course, is Agnes Ngetich in the women&rsquo;s race. The 25-year-old Kenyan was crowned World Cross Country Champion in Florida in January. Could she follow up with a title on the road, where she holds the 10K world record?&nbsp; &ldquo;That would be a dream come true. But it is a very strong line-up. Everyone wants to win the title. For me, just winning a medal would be a nice way to close the season,&rdquo; Ngetich told the press.&nbsp; Danish hope dreams of dipping under one hour&nbsp; On the local side, expectations lean toward Jacob Simonsen in the men&rsquo;s Half Marathon. The 31-year-old holds the national record in the half marathon at 61:11 minutes.&nbsp; &ldquo;I am in much better shape now than when I set the record. My dream goal is to run sub-one hour,&rdquo; Simonsen said.&nbsp; &ldquo;I have often been fortunate to race here in the city. I know the streets very well and know the vibe during the race. I am just going to take it all in.&rdquo;&nbsp; Around 60,000 runners will join the elite during the two days of racing.&nbsp;

The world’s best runners takes over the streets of Copenhagen

The world’s best runners will take over the streets of Copenhagen 

The world&rsquo;s best road runners will share the streets with thousands of recreational athletes this weekend as Copenhagen hosts what World Athletics President Sebastian Coe described as an &ldquo;extraordinary demonstration of humanity in running&rdquo;.
Six world titles will be decided across the road mile, 5km and half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, with the elite races forming part of a two-day festival of running in the Danish capital.
Speaking at the pre-event press conference on Friday (18), Coe highlighted participation as one of the key pillars of World Athletics and praised Copenhagen for embracing a format that brings together runners of all levels.
&ldquo;This weekend is an extraordinary demonstration of humanity in running,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so pleased that participation, which is one of our core pillars at World Athletics, is being demonstrated so clearly on the streets of Copenhagen this week.&rdquo;
It is a concept with which Copenhagen is already familiar. The city hosted the World Half Marathon Championships in 2014, an edition that helped pioneer the model of staging mass participation races alongside an elite global championship.
Christopher R&oslash;hl, Mayor of Culture, Leisure and Citizen Services for the City of Copenhagen, believes the return of a global road running championship provides an opportunity to build on that legacy.
&ldquo;Copenhagen has shown that world-class sport and mass participation belong together,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;Whether you are running your first mile, your first 5km, or you are competing for a world title, you are all part of the same event. This is the kind of running community that we want to strengthen here in Copenhagen.&rdquo;
Few athletes on the start line will understand that community better than Denmark&rsquo;s Jacob Sommer Simonsen, winner of the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 2023.
The Danish champion has watched the popularity of the sport grow rapidly in his home city and is looking forward to experiencing the championships from the sharp end.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s crazy to see how running, and especially road running, is blooming and exploding here in Denmark, and especially in Copenhagen,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s wonderful to be part of a time when running is so popular, so I&rsquo;m just trying to soak it all in.&rdquo;
While thousands will be taking to Copenhagen&rsquo;s streets for their own personal challenges, the battle for the six world titles promises to be fierce.
Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse arrives for the road mile just days after racing at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. The US middle-distance star will bring his season to a close in Copenhagen and believes he is ready to end it on a high.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m in the fitness of my life right now,&rdquo; said Nuguse. &ldquo;Based on how I&rsquo;ve been doing, I know I&rsquo;m very ready to just hammer out a really good race.&rdquo;
Whatever the outcome, Nuguse says his enthusiasm for racing remains as strong as ever.
&ldquo;Running is going to bring me joy regardless of the result,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;Especially here in Copenhagen, on the road, this being my last race of the season, I&rsquo;m just really excited to see what I can do.&rdquo;
France&rsquo;s Agathe Guillemot will also contest the road mile at the end of a season that has taken her from cross country to indoor and outdoor track, the Ultimate Championship and now the roads.
The world cross-country mixed relay silver medallist said she was relishing the opportunity to finish her long campaign as part of such a large running festival and is targeting the podium before finally taking a break.
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to compete tomorrow,&rdquo; said the European indoor 1500m champion. &ldquo;Finishing the season with this kind of event makes me really happy because I have this amazing opportunity to share my final race with 60,000 people. I&rsquo;m hoping to leave with a medal.&rdquo;
For Agnes Ngetich, Copenhagen offers the possibility of completing a remarkable trio of victories across three different surfaces.
The Kenyan started her year by winning the senior women&rsquo;s title at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, before producing a dominant world-leading 3000m victory at the Monaco Diamond League. Now the world 10km record-holder turns her attention to the half marathon.
&ldquo;That would be the dream, to win here,&rdquo; said Ngetich. &ldquo;We have a big line-up and, of course, everyone wants the title, but it would be my dream to win here. If I have a medal, it will be a nice way to close the season.&rdquo;
European 10,000m champion Andreas Almgren is taking a different approach. After a track season highlighted by his first senior continental title, the Swede has deliberately turned towards the roads in search of a fresh challenge.
&ldquo;I focused so much on the European Championships this year, so I wanted to do something completely different to feel very motivated again,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;This is the first stop of a very exciting autumn, so I&rsquo;m really excited to go out there and road race again.&rdquo;
For Coe, that combination of world-class competition, innovation and participation reflects what the World Road Running Championships were designed to achieve.
&ldquo;We are, as an international federation, always out there trying to do things differently,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;This is really important for us. Innovation comes because you have the bravery to set out to do something differently that nobody else has done before, the resilience not to get deterred, and the focus to really execute. And that is what this weekend is all about.&rdquo;
World Athletics

The world’s best road runners will share the streets with thousands of recreational athletes this weekend as Copenhagen hosts an extraordinary demonstration of humanity in running

World-class sport and mass participation come together in Copenhagen

World champions, Olympic medallists, world record-holders, experienced runners and people taking part in their very first race.
They will all be part of the same World Championships when the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 take over the streets of Copenhagen on 19 and 20 September.
World Athletics, the international governing body for athletics, is behind the Championships, and its President, Sebastian Coe, attended the official pre-event press conference on Friday afternoon, where he thanked both the athletes and the host city:
&ldquo;I would like to take this opportunity to thank the athletes for taking part, and I am delighted to see so many nations represented. I would also like to thank the city for allowing us to stage the Championships on its streets. Copenhagen is a beautiful city, and the local organisers are doing an excellent job, so we are looking forward to a great weekend of running.&rdquo;
By participant numbers, the event is the largest international championship ever staged in Denmark &ndash; something Copenhagen&rsquo;s Mayor for Culture, Leisure and Citizen Services, Christopher R&oslash;hl, highlighted at the press conference:
&ldquo;Over the coming days, Copenhagen will be filled with around 60,000 runners of all ages. The World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen in 2014 were the first time we experienced this type of event, bringing the world&rsquo;s best athletes and mass participation runners together at the same event. We are delighted to build on that legacy, and proud to welcome the global running community to Copenhagen.&rdquo;
The World Championships weekend will be the culmination of three years of preparation by Danish Athletics and athletics and running club Sparta, working closely with the City of Copenhagen, Sport Event Denmark and Wonderful Copenhagen.
A World Championships for everyone Copenhagen last hosted the World Half Marathon Championships in 2014, when more than 30,000 mass participation runners took to the streets alongside the world&rsquo;s best athletes. Twelve years later, almost twice as many runners are now preparing to share the World Championships experience.
&ldquo;Over the coming days, Copenhagen will become the centre of one of the most inclusive and unifying experiences international sport can create. Around 60,000 runners will arrive with their own stories, ambitions and dreams, while hundreds of thousands of people will experience the city through the World Championships. These are exactly the kind of events that show what Denmark can achieve when we open our doors and invite the world in,&rdquo; says Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark.
With both shorter and longer distances on the programme, the World Championships invite runners of all ages and abilities to take part, setting the stage for one of the largest international mass participation running events ever held in Denmark.
Championships designed to leave a lasting impact The ambition is also for the impact of the Championships to extend well beyond the race weekend itself. Through the Road to the World Championships initiative, a wide range of activities have been launched in the months leading up to the event to encourage more people across Denmark to become part of running and physical activity communities, regardless of age, ability or where they live.
&ldquo;We are very excited to get started. What makes these Championships so special is that the world&rsquo;s best athletes and mass participation runners will be part of the same celebration of running. It is a powerful illustration of how running can bring people together as a sport &ndash; from world-class competition to everyday exercise,&rdquo; says Klaus N&oslash;rby Jakobsen, CEO of Dansk Atletik.
&ldquo;The many activation initiatives we have launched for people of all ages in connection with the World Championships have also demonstrated what running can achieve when municipalities, volunteers and local clubs work together. Our ambition extends beyond the Championships themselves: we want to inspire even more people across Denmark to lace up their running shoes, get out on the roads and athletics tracks, and find their way into local clubs.&rdquo;
A celebration of running in a popular destination From the outset, the organisers&rsquo; ambition has been to create a major celebration of running throughout the weekend, rather than simply stage a World Championships. Music, entertainment and activities along the courses will bring the city into the experience and invite Copenhageners and visitors alike to join the celebrations.
&ldquo;We are incredibly excited to give all the runners and spectators a great experience this weekend. We have been preparing thoroughly for a long time, and now we are ready to invite people out along the courses and let a very special celebration of running unfold in the heart of Copenhagen,&rdquo; says Dorte Vibjerg, CEO of Sparta Atletik &amp; L&oslash;b and Chair of the World Championships Steering Committee.
With tens of thousands of participants and visitors from Denmark and abroad, the Championships will also provide an opportunity to showcase Copenhagen to an international audience.
&ldquo;By hosting the World Road Running Championships, the capital will welcome thousands of visitors this weekend, generate economic activity and have an excellent opportunity to showcase Copenhagen from many different perspectives, while also helping to make running more accessible as a form of exercise for new audiences,&rdquo; says S&oslash;ren Tegen Pedersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen.
The Championships will be broadcast on DR. The first elite one mile race gets under way at 10:10 on Saturday, followed by the first 5 km elite race at 14:10. The half marathon takes place on Sunday morning, with the first elite race starting at 09:10.
Participant statistics ahead of the Championships
&bull; 496 elite athletes from 85 countries are included on the final entry lists
&bull; Around 60,000 mass participation runners will compete across the three distances
&bull; The half marathon is the largest distance, with around 44,000 registered runners
&bull; 53% of participants are international
&bull; The largest age group overall is 30&ndash;34. In the one mile, however, the largest age group is 5&ndash;9
 Facts: World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26
&bull; Takes place in Copenhagen on 19&ndash;20 September 2026
&bull; World Championships distances: one mile, 5 km and half marathon
&bull; Six world titles will be decided: women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s titles across all three distances
&bull; This is the second edition of the World Athletics Road Running Championships
&bull; The Championships are staged on behalf of World Athletics by Danish Athletics and Sparta Athletics &amp; Running in collaboration with the City of Copenhagen, Sport Event Denmark and Wonderful Copenhagen

Nearly 500 of the world’s best runners will line up at the WRRC 26

Historic World Championships puts Copenhagen at the heart of international road running

Multiple global medallists will clash when the men&rsquo;s half marathon brings the elite World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 competition to a close on Sunday (20).
Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir and Daniel Ebenyo both claimed medals at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023 and will fight for podium places again in the Danish capital. But they will be up against a formidable field featuring fellow major medallists such as Sweden&rsquo;s world 10,000m bronze medallist Andreas Almgren and Uganda&rsquo;s multiple Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei.
Kipkorir is the fastest in the field so far this season thanks to the PB of 58:08 he ran in Lisbon in March. That performance places him in the top 10 on the world all-time list and the 27-year-old will line up as the world&rsquo;s No.2-ranked road runner following a series of results that include a win at the Copenhagen Half Marathon in 58:23 a year ago.
As well as experience of running in the Danish capital, Kipkorir is also no stranger to the World Road Running Championships as he clinched bronze in the 5km three years ago &ndash; his first global medal after just missing the podium with a fourth-place finish in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in 2021. He has since stepped up in distance and made his marathon debut in Boston in April.
Among his rivals is his teammate Ebenyo who will be looking to go one better than his silver medal behind his compatriot Sabastian Sawe in Riga. The 2023 world 10,000m silver medallist, who turns 31 two days before the race in Copenhagen, will be aiming for a late birthday present of another medal to go with the world cross country bronze he claimed in Tallahassee in January.
It was Cheptegei who won ahead of Ebenyo at the 2023 World Championships &ndash; the Ugandan distance great clinching his third consecutive world 10,000m crown. In Copenhagen the 30-year-old will return to global competition for the first time since winning the Olympic 10,000m title in Paris two years ago. As well as his world and Olympic track titles, Cheptegei has a world cross-country crown from 2019, world records in the 5000m and 10,000m, and he finished fourth at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, where he set his PB of 59:21. He went close to that with 59:26 to win in Dubai in February, beating Kipkorir by two seconds.
Almgren started 2026 with a European record as he ran 26:45 for 10km in Valencia in January and matched that mark in Castell&oacute;n the following month. The 31-year-old then switched his focus to the track, clinching top-three spots in Diamond League races in Shanghai, Oslo and Paris before winning the European 10,000m title. Now he prepares for his first half marathon of the year. Almgren also holds the European record in the longer event as he ran 58:41 to finish fourth in Valencia last year, two places ahead of Kipkorir.
North American record-holder Conner Mantz leads the US team. The 29-year-old ran his 59:15 half marathon in New York last year and set another area record of 2:04:43 for the marathon in Chicago in October. Copenhagen is set to offer him only his second race of the year as he continues his comeback after injury.
Kipkorir and Ebenyo are joined on the Kenyan team by Gideon Rono and Alex Nzioka Matata, who respectively clocked PBs of 58:38 in Ras Al Khaimah and 59:11 in Yangzhou earlier this year. The Ethiopian squad is led by Tadese Worku who finished fourth at the World Cross Country Championships, denied a medal as he finished one place behind Ebenyo. Worku has a season&rsquo;s best of 58:59 from Prague in March, while his teammate Bereket Nega has also dipped inside an hour this year, running 59:43 in Berlin.
Italian record-holder Yemaneberhan Crippa is also in action. The 29-year-old finished fourth in the European 10,000m won by Almgren and set his national record of 59:01 in February. Others looking to make their mark include France&rsquo;s Etienne Daguinos, who got European 5000m bronze last month and finished sixth in the 5km at the World Road Running Championships three years ago, plus Australia&rsquo;s Jack Rayner and Canada&rsquo;s Rory Linkletter.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Multiple global medallists will clash when the men’s half marathon brings the elite World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 competition to a close on Sunday

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: men's half marathon

Agnes Ngetich will aim to add a second global title to an outstanding 2026 campaign when she lines up for the women&rsquo;s half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26.
The Kenyan has excelled across surfaces and distances this year. She claimed her first global title with a dominant victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January, winning by 42 seconds, before clocking a world-leading 28:58 for 10km in Lille, the third-fastest performance in history. She then demonstrated her track speed in emphatic fashion in Monaco in July, dominating a high-quality 3000m field in a world-leading 8:08.95.
Victory in Copenhagen would therefore further underline Ngetich&rsquo;s remarkable versatility, adding a world half-marathon title to a season in which she has already established herself as the leading exponent across multiple terrains. She heads to Danish capital as the world&rsquo;s No.1-ranked road runner.
Few can match her credentials over 21.1km. The world 10km record-holder ran 1:03:04 on her half-marathon debut in Valencia in 2024 and returned a year later to win in 1:03:08. Those remain the second and third-fastest performances in history, behind only Letesenbet Gidey&rsquo;s world record of 1:02:52.
Her only setback of an otherwise exceptional year came at the New York City Half Marathon in March. After an ambitious start, Ngetich paid for the early pace and faded to 13th in 1:10:25. Copenhagen offers an opportunity to make amends, but her record over the distance suggests that New York was very much the exception rather than the rule.
Tsigie Gebreselama looks set to be one of Ngetich's strongest challengers. The 2023 world cross-country silver medallist is ranked fourth in the world for road running and is the fastest Copenhagen entrant this year, having won the Lisbon Half Marathon in 1:04:48 in March. Her 1:04:21 PB, set at the same race last year, places her among the fastest half-marathon runners in the field.
She finished fourth at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga three years ago, so will be keen to make it on to the podium this time.
Her Ethiopian teammate Ftaw Zeray has also impressed this season. She won in Paris in a PB of 1:05:12 in March and followed that with second place in Istanbul the following month. Zeray finished sixth in the half marathon at the 2023 World Road Running Championships.
Kenya&rsquo;s strength extends well beyond Ngetich. Lilian Kasait Rengeruk owns a 1:03:32 PB, achieved when finishing third behind Ngetich in Valencia in 2024, making her the fourth-fastest woman in history. She has also run 29:32 for 10km and finished fifth in the Olympic 10,000m in Paris.
Daisilah Jerono and Veronica Loleo both set significant PBs in Berlin in March, finishing second and third respectively behind Likina Amebaw. Jerono ran 1:05:21 and Loleo 1:05:35, performances that put both firmly among the leading contenders in Copenhagen.
Weini Kelati Frezghi also arrives in strong form over the distance, having reduced the US half-marathon record to 1:06:04 when finishing second in Barcelona in February.
Slovenia&rsquo;s Klara Lukan has enjoyed a breakthrough road season too. After running a national half-marathon record of 1:06:43 behind Esther Chebet in Malaga, she became the first European woman to break 30 minutes for 10km on the roads, clocking a European record of 29:51 in Laredo.
Uganda&rsquo;s Chebet arrives with winning form over the distance, having clocked a PB of 1:06:33 to beat Lukan in Malaga in March, while Uruguay&rsquo;s Julia Paternain brings a different kind of championship pedigree. Paternain earned marathon bronze at last year&rsquo;s World Championships in Tokyo and improved her national record to 2:25:47 this April.
Norway&rsquo;s Karoline Bjerkeli Gr&oslash;vdal brings considerable championship experience. The multiple European medallist won the European half-marathon title in 2024 and has also proved herself on demanding road courses, including victory at the New York City Half Marathon that same year.
Ngetich&rsquo;s performances across 2026 make her the athlete everyone else will be looking to challenge, and Copenhagen offers her an opportunity to put together one of the most compelling all-round distance-running seasons of recent years. Gebreselama arrives with the fastest half-marathon time of the season among the entrants, while Rengeruk, Jerono and Loleo give Kenya formidable depth.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Agnes Ngetich will aim to add a second global title to an outstanding 2026 campaign when she lines up for the women’s half marathon in Copenhagen

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: women's half marathon

Global champions Jimmy Gressier and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are set to clash in the 5km when Denmark welcomes many of the world&rsquo;s leading athletes for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 on 19-20 September.
France&rsquo;s Gressier is the world 10,000m champion and Norway&rsquo;s Ingebrigtsen is the Olympic 5000m champion, the latter fresh off winning at the Ultimate Championship. Now they prepare to race each other on the road for the first time, on the first day of the championships on Saturday (19).
Gressier, who finished fifth in the half marathon at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023, threatened the world 5km record when he ran a European record of 12:51 in Lille in April. Only Berihu Aregawi (12:49) and Yomif Kejelcha (12:50) have ever gone quicker than the 29-year-old.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Addisu Yihune was second that day in Lille in 12:54 &ndash; a time that puts him fifth on the world all-time list &ndash; and he will battle with Gressier again in Copenhagen.
Since that race in Lille, Gressier finished third in the 10,000m and fourth in the 5000m at the European Championships, while Yihune won Diamond League 5000m races in Xiamen and Oslo. The 23-year-old most recently raced at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest but did not finish.
Ingebrigtsen was also in action in Budapest, and at the European Championships where he won the 5000m, three places ahead of Gressier. That was Ingebrigtsen&rsquo;s fourth successive European 5000m title win, in what was his first race of the year following achilles surgery. The 25-year-old went on to claim three top-five finishes on the Diamond League circuit, including fourth in the Diamond League Final 1500m, before ending his track season on a high by winning the Ultimate 5000m title after a superb finishing kick in Budapest.
The two-time world 5000m champion was also entered for the 1500m in Budapest but after the 5000m he did not feel in a position to contest two races back-to-back. Should Ingebrigtsen line up in Copenhagen, it would be his third consecutive weekend of major competition &ndash; just eight days on from his impressive Ultimate title win. The event would see him return to the roads in the city in which he raced his first, and so far only, half marathon in 2024. He has also raced the road 5km only once so far &ndash; in Stavanger in 2020 when he clocked 13:28.
There are plenty of other contenders who will also be pushing for the podium this weekend. Maxime Chaumeton ran a South African record of 13:06 to finish fifth behind Gressier and Yihune in Lille, while Norway&rsquo;s Narve Gilje Nord&aring;s and Portugal&rsquo;s Jos&eacute; Carlos Pinto were seventh and eighth in 13:10 and 13:13, respectively.
Yihune will be joined on the Ethiopian team by Mezgebu Sime who finished second behind his compatriot at the Boston 5K in April, while Burundi&rsquo;s Egide Ntakarutimana is also in action after finishing second in the Diamond League 5000m final in Brussels and then placing eighth at the Ultimate Championship.
Australia&rsquo;s 2025 world indoor 3000m bronze medallist Ky Robinson was one place behind Ntakarutimana at the Ultimate, that performance following his 10,000m win and 5000m runner-up finish at the Commonwealth Games. It was Kenya&rsquo;s Mathew Kipsang who beat Robinson to the Commonwealth Games 5000m title and they meet again, Kipsang joined on the Kenyan team by Charles Kiboino.
Eritrea&rsquo;s Dawit Seare ran a national record of 13:21 to finish fourth in Riga in 2023. He returns as the African 5000m champion having won in Accra in May.
Switzerland&rsquo;s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu secured 10,000m silver at the European Championships, finishing one place ahead of Gressier, and he lines up with a 5km PB of 13:00 from Zurich in 2022.&nbsp;
The entries also include Uganda&rsquo;s 2024 world U20 5000m bronze medallist Keneth Kiprop, and Aron Gebremariam who will compete for the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Global champions Jimmy Gressier and Jakob Ingebrigtsen are set to clash in the 5km when Denmark welcomes many of the world’s leading athletes for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: men's 5km

Fresh from a dominant victory at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, Likina Amebaw will attempt to add another global title to her collection when she contests the women&rsquo;s 5km at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 on Saturday (19).
The Ethiopian will line up just six days after producing one of the standout distance performances in Budapest, where she broke away from a world-class 5000m field with two kilometres remaining and held on to win in 14:30.36.
That performance reinforced Amebaw&rsquo;s status as one of the world&rsquo;s leading distance runners in 2026. She heads the world rankings for 5000m and ran a world-leading 14:18.41 in Rome in June. Her road credentials are equally impressive: she clocked 29:29 for 10km in Valencia in January and has a 5km best of 14:23, set in Barcelona at the end of last year.
There will be little respite for Amebaw on the fast Copenhagen course, however, not least from her Ethiopian teammate who also raced her in Budapest. Aleshign Baweke finished fifth at the Ultimate Championship in 14:32.95, having pushed Amebaw to within 0.13 in their rapid 5000m race in Rome earlier this season.
The Kenyan challenge could prove just as formidable. Caroline Nyaga owns the fastest 5km PB in the Copenhagen field. Her 14:19 victory in Tokyo last year puts her fourth on the world all-time list, behind only Beatrice Chebet, Agnes Ngetich and Marta Alemayo. The 2022 African champion also finished sixth in the Commonwealth 5000m in Glasgow last month.
Caroline Gitonga, meanwhile, has put together one of the strongest road-running seasons of anyone in the field. She has set lifetime bests at all three of her principal road distances in 2026, running 29:34 for 10km, 1:06:16 for the half marathon and 14:26 for 5km. That latter performance makes her one of the fastest women in the world over the distance this year.
Europe also provides several genuine medal contenders. Diane van Es of the Netherlands has already rewritten the continental record books this year, clocking a European 5km record of 14:33 in Monaco in February. The European 10,000m silver medallist has considerable experience across both road and track.
Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent has made similarly significant progress. She lowered her national road 10km record to 30:10 in January, ran another national record of 14:36 for 5km in Utrecht and then earned 10,000m bronze at the European Championships in Birmingham.
Samiya Hassan Nour is another athlete with proven road speed. The Djiboutian has run 14:38 for 5km this year, while Burundi&rsquo;s Francine Niyomukunzi improved her 5000m best to 14:41.46 in Rome in June.
Several athletes who competed at the Ultimate Championship will make the same rapid journey from Budapest to Copenhagen as Amebaw.
Australia&rsquo;s Rose Davies finished sixth in Budapest in a season&rsquo;s best of 14:35.64, having claimed the Commonwealth 5000m title in Glasgow earlier in the summer. Hannah Nuttall, 11th at the Ultimate Championship, finished fifth at the Commonwealth Games and has run 8:26.48 for 3000m this season.
Nuttall&rsquo;s British teammate Megan Keith took Commonwealth bronze and brings particularly strong road credentials, having set a British 10km record of 30:07 in Castell&oacute;n in February before running 1:07:13 for the half marathon the following month.
Georgia Griffith is another strong Australian contender. The world indoor medallist owns a 14:32.82 5000m PB and an Australian record of 8:24.20 for 3000m, giving her the kind of speed that could become particularly valuable if the race remains tightly bunched.
At the other end of the experience scale is Uganda&rsquo;s Charity Cherop. The 19-year-old enjoyed a superb World U20 Championships in Oregon, winning the 5000m title and taking bronze over 3000m. She also ran a national U20 record of 14:39.38 for 5000m earlier this season.
The US challenge includes Courtney Frerichs, whose championship pedigree stretches back almost a decade. The Olympic and world 3000m steeplechase silver medallist has a 14:48.75 5000m best, while three-time NCAA champion Allie Ostrander adds further depth.
With Amebaw carrying the strongest form of the field, she will start as the athlete to beat. But with an Ethiopian teammate who has already run close to her this year, a Kenyan pair boasting some of the fastest road credentials in the field, and a sizeable group of European and Commonwealth medallists, another runaway victory is far from guaranteed.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Fresh from a dominant victory at the Ultimate Championship, Likina Amebaw will attempt to add another global title to her collection in Copenhagen

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: women's 5km

An Olympic medallist is among the host of leading middle-distance runners who will take to the streets at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, where a new men&rsquo;s road mile champion will be crowned on Saturday (19).
Yared Nuguse is among the headline names in a deep field that also features Vincent Ciattei, Robert Farken, Jake Heyward, Andrew Coscoran and Oliver Hoare.
For Nuguse, the switch from track to road comes just six days after he finished fifth over 1500m at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. The Olympic 1500m bronze medallist and former world indoor mile record-holder has already demonstrated his ability on the roads, winning the US road mile title in Des Moines in April in 3:54.06, with Ciattei second in 3:54.62.
Nuguse has also run 3:51.9 for the road mile, while on the track this year he finished second to Josh Kerr in the world record-breaking London mile, recording 3:45.69.
Ciattei looks a&nbsp;significant threat&nbsp;on the basis of road-mile form. As well as finishing just over half a second behind Nuguse at the US Championships, he has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the track, reducing his 1500m best to 3:30.90 and his mile best to 3:48.34.
Farken, Heyward and Coscoran add further strength from Europe. Farken, sixth in the 1500m at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, has enjoyed the best season of his career, running 3:46.82 for the mile in London and 3:30.09 at the 1500m checkpoint.
Heyward finished one place ahead of Farken in that race, setting a PB of 3:46.73. The 2022 European 1500m silver medallist has also come close to the podium at two major championships this year, finishing fourth in the mile at the Commonwealth Games and fourth over 1500m at the European Championships.
Coscoran went one better in Birmingham, taking European 1500m bronze, and the Irishman owns a 3:49.26 mile best.
Australia&rsquo;s challenge includes Hoare and Jack Anstey. Hoare, the 2022 Commonwealth 1500m champion, finished second to Cameron Myers at the Australian Championships in April and fifth in the Commonwealth mile in Glasgow. Anstey, who contested the road mile at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga three years ago, arrives with useful recent evidence of his road credentials after running 3:55.56 in D&uuml;sseldorf on 6 September.
New Zealand&rsquo;s Samuel Tanner is another experienced miler who could feature prominently. He has a 3:49.51 track mile best and produced a strong spell of racing in July, winning 1500m races in Lignano and Heusden-Zolder before finishing ninth in the Commonwealth mile.
For Marino Bloudek, the road mile represents a step up from his specialist distance, but his speed makes him an intriguing contender. He took European 800m silver and has also set Croatian records at 800m and 1000m in 2026.
South Africa&rsquo;s Tshepo Tshite brings a different combination of speed and endurance. A world 1500m finalist last year, he won the South African title this season and defeated Olympic 1500m champion Cole Hocker over 3000m in Los Angeles in June.
Kenya&rsquo;s Kyumbe Munguti returns to the event having contested the mile three years ago in Riga. A two-time gold medallist in the mixed relay at the World Cross, he adds further experience to a field in which positioning could prove as important as outright speed.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

An Olympic medallist is among the host of leading middle-distance runners who will take to the streets at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, where a new men’s road mile champion will be crowned

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: men's mile

The women&rsquo;s mile at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 brings together several athletes who will complete a major competition treble across consecutive weekends when they race in the Danish capital on Saturday (19).
Freweyni Hailu, Addison Wiley, Sarah Billings and Agathe Guillemot all competed at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels before running at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship Budapest 26 a week later. Now they will clash in Copenhagen as they race for road mile honours on the first day of the championships.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hailu will be looking to build on her runner-up finish at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023. Since then, she has become a two-time world indoor champion and she finished sixth in the 1500m at the World Championships in Tokyo last year.
The 25-year-old has had a busy few weeks. After a series of top-three finishes on the Diamond League circuit, Hailu won the 5000m title at the series final in Brussels. She then travelled to Budapest where she contested a 1500m and 5000m double, finishing fourth in both.
Guillemot was among her rivals in the 1500m in Budapest, the French 27-year-old finishing four places back in eighth. That followed her sixth-place finish in the Diamond League Final, while she finished fourth at the European Championships in August. Guillemot has already achieved a global medal in 2026 as she helped the French team to mixed relay silver at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in January, and she finished fourth in the world indoor 1500m final in Toruń two months later.
USA&rsquo;s Wiley and Australia&rsquo;s Billings both step up in distance after racing the 800m in Brussels and Budapest. Billings, who claimed 800m bronze at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow at the end of July, finished fifth in the Diamond League Final, one place ahead of Wiley. But Wiley, the world indoor 800m bronze medallist in Toruń, turned the tables during the Ultimate Championship as she finished fourth, three places ahead of Billings. They both already have experience of the World Road Running Championships as Wiley was ninth and Billings was 14th in the mile three years ago in Riga.
Like Guillemot, Billings&rsquo; teammate Linden Hall also raced at the World Cross Country Championships in January, helping Australia to the mixed relay title. Hall lines up in Copenhagen off the back of a busy Diamond League campaign &ndash; her last race being the 5000m final in Brussels where she finished 10th in that race won by Hailu.
A handful of athletes entered have already raced road miles this year, including Wiley who ran 4:25.42 in Des Moines in April. Gracie Hyde was second in that race in 4:25.64 and joins Wiley on the US team for Copenhagen.
Mirriam Cherop, who ran her PB of 4:22.54 in Honolulu in 2018, is joined on the Kenyan team by Naomi Korir, the national 1500m champion and Commonwealth Games mile fifth-place finisher. Canada&rsquo;s Lucia Stafford finished one place ahead of Korir at the Commonwealth Games, while British champion Sarah Calvert was seventh in that race, and they too both compete in Copenhagen.
The entry list also features Ethiopia&rsquo;s Olympic finalist Worknesh Mesele, Ireland&rsquo;s 2025 European indoor champion Sarah Healy and Jamaica&rsquo;s Adelle Tracey, who ran 4:20.4 in the 5th Avenue Mile last weekend.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

The women’s mile at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 brings together several athletes who will complete a major competition treble across consecutive weekends when they race in the Danish capital

WRRC Copenhagen 26 preview: women's mile

<div style="max-width: 1200px; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 clamp(12px, 2vw, 20px); box-sizing: border-box;">
<div style="max-width: 900px; margin: 0 0 40px;">
<h2 style="margin-top: 0;">Warm up for the World Championships with a social run</h2>
All championships begin with a single step. And why not take yours at one of our social runs? Before Race Day, you can warm up your legs, meet other runners and get a first taste of the atmosphere with one of four free shake out runs in Copenhagen.
Choose the run that suits you, keep the pace easy and enjoy the final kilometres before it is time to line up on the World Championship start line.
</div>

<div style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(min(420px, 100%), 1fr)); gap: clamp(18px, 2vw, 24px); align-items: stretch;">
<div style="background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><img style="display: block; width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://sparta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/cropped_1670x941_2.jpg" alt="Joe and the Juice shake out run at WRRC Copenhagen 26" />
<div style="padding: clamp(20px, 2.5vw, 30px); display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1;">
<h3 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 18px;">JOE &amp; THE JUICE: 6 km sightseeing run</h3>
Date Wednesday 16 September
Time 18:00 (6:00 PM)
Location Start and finish at the Expo in Forum, by the JOE &amp; THE JUICE truck and the small lawn.
About the run Join local runners for a guided 6 km sightseeing run through Copenhagen, passing some of the city's most iconic buildings and landmarks. Baggage storage will be available. After the run, you can sample JOE &amp; THE JUICE Recovery juice, made with apple, carrot, lemon, ginger and electrolytes. 
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 12px 20px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/KU2576nWJBtLFNWJ7?g_st=ic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See meeting point</a>
</div>
</div>

<div style="background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><img style="display: block; width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://sparta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/cropped_1670x941_1.jpg" alt="ASICS FrontRunners shake out run at WRRC Copenhagen 26" />
<div style="padding: clamp(20px, 2.5vw, 30px); display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1;">
<h3 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 18px;">ASICS FrontRunners: 6 km sightseeing run</h3>
Date Thursday 17 September
Time 18:00 (6:00 PM)
Location Start and finish at the entrance to the Expo in Forum.
About the run Explore Copenhagen on an easy 6 km sightseeing run with the ASICS FrontRunners and local runners. It is a relaxed opportunity to loosen up your legs, see the city and meet fellow World Championship participants before Race Day. Baggage storage will be available.
&nbsp;
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 12px 20px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/KU2576nWJBtLFNWJ7?g_st=ic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See meeting point</a>
</div>
</div>

<div style="background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><img style="display: block; width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://sparta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Loeberen-SR.png" alt="bRUNch with L&Oslash;BEREN at WRRC Copenhagen 26" />
<div style="padding: clamp(20px, 2.5vw, 30px); display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1;">
<h3 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 18px;">bRUNch with L&Oslash;BEREN</h3>
Date Friday 18 September
Time 07:00 AM
Location Start and finish at the Expo on the small lawn outside Forum.
About the run Start your Friday with an easy 5 km run around Copenhagen's lakes together with the running store L&Oslash;BEREN. The pace will be relaxed and made for freshening up the legs. Afterwards, there will be hot coffee and a Danish pastry waiting for you.
&nbsp;
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 12px 20px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/KU2576nWJBtLFNWJ7?g_st=ic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See meeting point</a>
</div>
</div>

<div style="background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><img style="display: block; width: 100%; height: auto;" src="https://sparta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/cropped_1670x941_3.jpg" alt="Zalando x HIGH5 Grab n' Go shake out run at WRRC Copenhagen 26" />
<div style="padding: clamp(20px, 2.5vw, 30px); display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex: 1;">
<h3 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 18px;">Zalando x HIGH5: Grab n' Go</h3>
Date Friday 18 September
Time 17:00 (5:00 PM)
Location Start and finish in F&aelig;lledparken by the Zalando area.
About the run Join an easy 5 km run in and around F&aelig;lledparken with one of Copenhagen's local running clubs. Along the way, you can practise grabbing a cup of HIGH5 or water while running. Tables will be set up so you can test the technique before the big day. 
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 12px 20px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/GT2uJCThVMPpJTxQ6?g_st=ic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">See meeting point</a>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
&nbsp;

Join a WRRC 26 Social Run

JOIN A WORLD CLASS SOCIAL RUN

Global champions Jimmy Gressier, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Agnes Ngetich are among the 496 athletes entered for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 on 19-20 September.
With athletes from 85 federations plus the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team (ART), the high entry figures demonstrate the strength and appeal of the event for federations across the globe.
A total of 270 men and 226 women are named for the championships in the Danish capital, where global titles in the road mile, 5km and half marathon are up for grabs.
Download: <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6a9bdd318052dd6792f2ea9d.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by event and season&rsquo;s best</a> <a href="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/document/6a9bdd458052dd6792f2eaa0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries by federation</a>
World 10km record-holder Ngetich heads to Copenhagen looking to add another global title to the world cross-country crown she claimed in Tallahassee in January. She will contest the half marathon, an event in which she holds the Kenyan record of 1:03:04 &ndash; a time that places her second on the world all-time list.
She will line up alongside Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tsigie Gebreselama, who finished fourth at the last edition of the World Road Running Championships in Riga in 2023, while the entry list also includes Uruguay&rsquo;s world marathon bronze medallist Julia Paternain.
North American record-holder Weini Kelati leads the US squad that includes five other athletes that competed in the USATF Half Marathon Championships. As <a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/news/press-releases/statement-usatf-participation-road-running-championships-copenhagen-26">announced in March</a>, scoring will be limited to four athletes &ndash; Kelati and three athletes who were misdirected late in the qualification race: Jess McClain, Emma Grace Hurley and Ednah Kurgat. Carrie Ellwood and Annie Rodenfels compete as non-scoring athletes.
Kenya&rsquo;s Nicholas Kipkorir, who sits fourth on the season top list with the 58:08 he ran in Lisbon in March, is entered for the men&rsquo;s half marathon along with Sweden&rsquo;s world 10,000m silver medallist Andreas Almgren, who set a European record of 58:41 last year. They will face the likes of Uganda&rsquo;s multiple Olympic and world gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei and Kenya&rsquo;s world half marathon silver medallist Daniel Ebenyo.
France&rsquo;s world 10,000m champion Gressier leads the entries for the 5km, an event in which he threatened the world record by running 12:51 in Lille in April. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Addisu Yihune was second that day in 12:54 and they clash again in Copenhagen. They will be joined by Norway&rsquo;s Olympic 5000m champion Ingebrigtsen, who won the European 5000m title last month on his return after injury. Ingebrigtsen is among the athletes set to contest a global double on consecutive weekends, racing at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship on 11-13 September before the World Road Running Championships.
Entries for the women&rsquo;s 5km include Kenya&rsquo;s Caroline Nyaga, Ethiopia&rsquo;s Likina Amebaw, European record-holder Diane van Es of the Netherlands and Belgium&rsquo;s Jana Van Lent as well as Uganda&rsquo;s Charity Cherop who claimed 5000m gold and 3000m bronze at the World U20 Championships last month.
The women&rsquo;s mile features Ethiopia&rsquo;s two-time world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu, who clinched silver in Riga three years ago, as well as USA&rsquo;s Addison Wiley and Australia&rsquo;s Linden Hall.
Portugal&rsquo;s world 1500m champion Isaac Nader is entered for the men&rsquo;s mile along with USA&rsquo;s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse and Spain&rsquo;s world indoor 800m bronze medallist Mohamed Attaoui.
Mass races will be held alongside the elite action to give recreational runners the chance both to run the championship courses and watch the best in the world compete, as part of this unique global festival of road running.
Event-by-event previews and official elite start lists will be published on the World Athletics website during the week of the event.
World Athletics

Global champions Jimmy Gressier, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Agnes Ngetich are among the 496 athletes entered

Final entry lists published for World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

<div style="max-width: 1200px; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 20px; box-sizing: border-box;">
<div style="background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; padding: clamp(28px, 5vw, 48px); text-align: center;">
<h2 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 16px; font-size: clamp(30px, 4vw, 42px); line-height: 1.1;">Find your WRRC Copenhagen 26 result</h2>
Did you race at WRRC Copenhagen 26? Well done! We hope you enjoyed the course, the crowds and Copenhagen.
Thank you for being part of the World Championships. You are a true champion.
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 13px 22px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://live.wrrc26.dk/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> FIND YOUR RESULT </a>
</div>
</div>

<div style="max-width: 1200px; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0 20px; box-sizing: border-box;">
<div style="display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; background-color: #f7f4ee; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; align-items: stretch;">
<div style="flex: 1 1 32%; min-width: min(100%, 280px);"><img style="display: block; width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover;" src="https://sparta.dk/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/55537811989_fe70c62f2c_k-e1789898174245.jpg" alt="Photos from WRRC Copenhagen 26" /></div>

<div style="flex: 2 1 64%; min-width: min(100%, 320px); display: flex; align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box;">
<div style="padding: clamp(28px, 4vw, 48px);">
<h2 style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 18px;">Relive your World Championships</h2>
One mile. 5 km. Half marathon. And an entire World Championships week in Copenhagen.
Explore the photo galleries from WRRC Copenhagen 26 and relive some of the greatest moments from the races and the days surrounding the Championships.
<a style="display: inline-block; background-color: #69d7e1; color: #1e1e1e; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 900; padding: 14px 24px; border-radius: 4px;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/the-event/gallery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SEE ALL PHOTOS</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<section class="styles_root__3xw5i styles_body__25okG">
<div id="sa25" class="container-lg" style="white-space: normal; width: 100%; padding-right: 0.75rem; padding-left: 0.75rem; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; max-width: 960px;">
<div class="row py-3" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(0 * -1); margin-right: calc(1.5rem * -0.5); margin-left: calc(1.5rem * -0.5); padding-top: 1rem; padding-bottom: 1rem;">
<div class="col" style="white-space: normal; flex-shrink: 0; width: 100%; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(1.5rem * 0.5); padding-left: calc(1.5rem * 0.5); margin-top: 0; flex: 1 0 0%;">
<h2 style="white-space: normal; padding-top: 10px; font-weight: 900;">Featured routes</h2>
</div>
</div>
<div class="row" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; margin-top: calc(0 * -1); margin-right: calc(1.5rem * -0.5); margin-left: calc(1.5rem * -0.5);">
<div class="col d-flex flex-wrap justify-content-center gap-3" style="white-space: normal; flex-shrink: 0; width: 100%; max-width: 100%; padding-right: calc(1.5rem * 0.5); padding-left: calc(1.5rem * 0.5); margin-top: 0; flex: 1 0 0%; gap: 1rem; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center;">
<div class="card" style="white-space: normal; position: relative; display: flex; flex-direction: column; min-width: 300px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: #fff; background-clip: border-box; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125); border-radius: 0.25rem; margin-bottom: 20px; max-width: 30%;">
<div class="card-img-top" style="white-space: normal; width: 100%; height: 200px; overflow: hidden; border-top-left-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px); border-top-right-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px);"><img class="img-fluid" style="white-space: normal; object-fit: cover; height: 100%; width: 100%;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/675fec39a16e6e66c7de9f9b.jpg" /></div>
<div class="card-body" style="white-space: normal; flex: 1 1 auto; padding: 1rem 1rem; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: space-around;">
Saturday, September 19, 2026
<h3 class="card-title" style="white-space: normal; padding-top: 10px; font-weight: 900; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; color: #000000;">One Mile</h3>
The One Mile is an easy distance to get in shape for &ndash; and a tough race to master. Go all out right behind the world elite or take it easy and enjoy the experience of a real world championship your family and friends.
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;"><a class="btn btn-primary" style="white-space: normal; font-weight: 900; color: #1e1e1e; flex-grow: 1; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; background-color: #a5fa64;" role="button" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/races/one-mile">Learn more</a></div>
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="card" style="white-space: normal; position: relative; display: flex; flex-direction: column; min-width: 300px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: #fff; background-clip: border-box; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125); border-radius: 0.25rem; margin-bottom: 20px; max-width: 30%;">
<div class="card-img-top" style="white-space: normal; width: 100%; height: 200px; overflow: hidden; border-top-left-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px); border-top-right-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px);"><img class="img-fluid" style="white-space: normal; object-fit: cover; height: 100%; width: 100%;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/675febcfa16e6e66c7de9f9a.jpg" /></div>
<div class="card-body" style="white-space: normal; flex: 1 1 auto; padding: 1rem 1rem; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: space-around;">
Saturday, September 19, 2026
<h3 class="card-title" style="white-space: normal; padding-top: 10px; font-weight: 900; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; color: #000000;">5K</h3>
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned runner, the 5K is achievable. The distance is short enough to attract newcomers but also challenging enough for experienced runners to chase personal bests.
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;"><a class="btn btn-primary" style="white-space: normal; font-weight: 900; color: #1e1e1e; flex-grow: 1; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; background-color: #bc94ff;" role="button" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/races/5-kilometers">Learn more</a></div>
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="card" style="white-space: normal; position: relative; display: flex; flex-direction: column; min-width: 300px; word-wrap: break-word; background-color: #fff; background-clip: border-box; border: 1px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.125); border-radius: 0.25rem; margin-bottom: 20px; max-width: 30%;">
<div class="card-img-top" style="white-space: normal; width: 100%; height: 200px; overflow: hidden; border-top-left-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px); border-top-right-radius: calc(0.25rem - 1px);"><img class="img-fluid" style="white-space: normal; object-fit: cover; height: 100%; width: 100%;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/675febb7a16e6e66c7de9f99.jpg" /></div>
<div class="card-body" style="white-space: normal; flex: 1 1 auto; padding: 1rem 1rem; display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: space-around;">
Sunday, September 20, 2026
<h3 class="card-title" style="white-space: normal; padding-top: 10px; font-weight: 900; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; color: #000000;">Half Marathon (sold out)</h3>
Half the distance of a marathon &ndash; and twice the fun. At least it will be on the course that we have planned for you with lots of music and entertainment all the way from start to finish. Let&rsquo;s have a blast!
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;"><a class="btn btn-primary" style="white-space: normal; font-weight: 900; color: #1e1e1e; flex-grow: 1; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; background-color: #ff873c;" role="button" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/races/half-marathon">Learn more</a></div>
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-1" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 0.25rem; padding-bottom: 0.25rem;">&nbsp;</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="d-flex justify-content-center py-3" style="white-space: normal; display: flex; justify-content: center; padding-top: 1rem; padding-bottom: 1rem;"><a class="btn btn-primary" style="white-space: normal; font-weight: 900; color: #1e1e1e; flex-grow: 1; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; background-color: #69d7e1;" role="button" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/races">View all Races</a></div>
</div>
</section>

<section class="HeroCarousel_heroCarousel__3uXuq" style="padding-bottom: 30%;" data-name="carousel-article">
<div class="HeroCarousel_active__25jlG"><img class="HeroCarousel_carouselImage__2PmFp" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6777c10f60448c15debbc410.jpg" data-name="image-original" />
<div class="HeroCarousel_carouselLayer__eh7wy" style="background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0) 55%, rgba(38, 38, 38, 0.8) 100%);">
<div class="HeroCarousel_articleContainer__1V1O1 HeroCarousel_leftArticleContainer__RTpyR">
<div class="HeroCarousel_article__33oiY" data-name="description-container"><hr class="HeroCarousel_line__2TbIZ" style="display: block;" />
<h1 class="HeroCarousel_title__1sziS">Grind and glory awaits in Copenhagen</h1>
The World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 will lead 65.000 runners through the city's historic streets and beautiful waterfronts. The event is perfect for all levels, so join the race that captures the vibrant spirit of Copenhagen in an uforgettable urban run. <a style="cursor: pointer; width: 100%; color: #2c2a29; background-color: #69d7e1; text-decoration: none; padding: 25px;" href="https://worldathletics.org/en/competitions/world-athletics-road-running-championships/copenhagen26/races">LEARN MORE</a>
&nbsp;
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</section>

World Athletics Road Running Championships København 2026

World Athletics Road Running Championships København 26

Day 2 Extended Highlights | World Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

Day 1 Extended Highlights | World Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26

Full Long Jump Women Final | World U20 Championships Oregon 26

The Gambia

Cabo Verde

Equatorial Guinea

Cote D'ivoire

Ethiopia

Mali

Benin

Comoros

Liberia

Central African Republic

Reunion

Togo

Democ. Republic Of Congo

Namibia

Niger

Cameroon

Kenya

Seychelles

Madagascar

Tanzania

Dem. Rep. Of Sao Tome And Principe

Senegal

Botswana

Gabon

Lesotho

Rwanda

Uganda

Congo

Burundi

Burkina Faso

Zambia

Sierra Leone

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea

Malawi

Eritrea

Eswatini

Finland

Croatia

Ireland

Austria

Ukraine

Switzerland

Liechtenstein

Italy

Greece

Russia

Monaco

Kosovo

Montenegro

Portugal

Norway

Czech Republic

Albania

Cyprus

Lithuania

Hungary

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Poland

Netherlands

Slovenia

Romania

Latvia

France

Moldova

Estonia

Bulgaria

Sweden

Malta

Belarus

Vatican

Slovak Republic

Republic Of North Macedonia

Germany

Andorra

Great Britain & N.I.

Iceland

Luxembourg

San Marino

Denmark

Gibraltar

Spain

Belgium

Serbia

Georgia

Israel

Turkey

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Martinica

Aruba

St Pierre And M.

Guyane

Guadalupa

French Polynesia

Watch again | World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 - Half Marathon

Almgren runs European record to win world half marathon title in Copenhagen

Ngetich breaks women-only world half marathon record at World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen

Seare outkicks Ingebrigtsen to claim world 5km title in Copenhagen

Amebaw adds world 5km crown to Ultimate win in Copenhagen

Farken surges to world road mile title in Copenhagen