World Masters Athletics Championships facts for kids
Quick facts for kids World Masters Athletics Championships |
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| Level | Senior |
| Type | Masters athletics |
The World Masters Athletics Championships are a big sports event held every two years. It's for athletes who are 35 years old or older. These athletes are called "masters athletes." The event is organized by World Masters Athletics, which used to be called the World Association of Veteran Athletes.
In these championships, athletes are put into different groups based on their age. Each group covers five years, like 35-39, 40-44, and so on. This makes sure everyone competes fairly against people their own age.
The first outdoor championships happened in Toronto, Canada, on August 11, 1975. They used to be held every odd-numbered year. But in 2011, the rules changed, and they started happening in even-numbered years from 2016. Perth, Australia, hosted the first event under the new schedule. Later, special championships for road races (like marathons) were added in 1992. Indoor championships, held in sports halls, began in Sindelfingen, Germany, in 2004.
The championships planned for 2020 in Toronto had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They tried to move it to 2021 in Tampere, but it was cancelled again. Finally, the event happened in Tampere in 2022. Other events were then scheduled for 2023 in Edmonton and 2024 in Gothenburg.
These championships are huge! More athletes take part in them than in the Olympic track and field events. This makes them "the world's largest track meet." For example, in 1989, nearly 5,000 athletes competed, while the 1988 Olympics had about 1,600 track and field athletes. Even Al Oerter, a four-time Olympic champion, said these championships felt "more like the Olympics than the Olympics."
Studies have shown that while athletes naturally get a bit slower or less strong as they get older, the overall quality of performances at these championships has actually improved over the years!
Past Championships
These tables show where and when the World Masters Athletics Championships have been held.
Outdoor Events
Here are the places and dates for the outdoor championships.
| Edition | Year | City | Country | Venue | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1975 | Toronto |  Canada |
Centennial Park Stadium | 11-16 August |
| 2 | 1977 | Gothenburg |  Sweden |
Slottsskogsvallen | 8-13 August |
| 3 | 1979 | Hanover |  West Germany |
Niedersachsenstadion | 27 July-2 August |
| 4 | 1981 | Christchurch |  New Zealand |
Queen Elizabeth II Park | 7-14 January |
| 5 | 1983 | San Juan |  Puerto Rico |
Estadio Sixto Escobar | 23-30 September |
| 6 | 1985 | Rome |  Italy |
Stadio Olimpico | 22-30 July |
| 7 | 1987 | Melbourne |  Australia |
Olympic Park Stadium | 29 November-6 December |
| 8 | 1989 | Eugene |  United States |
Hayward Field | 27 July-6 August |
| 9 | 1991 | Turku |  Finland |
Paavo Nurmi Stadium | 18-28 July |
| 10 | 1993 | Miyazaki |  Japan |
Miyazaki Athletic Stadium | 7-17 October |
| 11 | 1995 | Buffalo | United States |
University at Buffalo Stadium | 13-23 July |
| 12 | 1997 | Durban |  South Africa |
Kings Park Athletic Stadium | 17-27 July |
| 13 | 1999 | Gateshead |  United Kingdom |
Gateshead International Stadium | 29 July-8 August |
| 14 | 2001 | Brisbane | Australia |
Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | 1-14 July |
| 15 | 2003 | Carolina | Puerto Rico |
Complejo Deportivo Municipal Roberto Clemente | 1-13 July |
| 16 | 2005 | San Sebastian |  Spain |
Anoeta Stadium | 22 August-3 September |
| 17 | 2007 | Riccione | Italy |
Stadio Italo Nicoletti | 4-15 September |
| 18 | 2009 | Lahti | Finland |
Lahden Stadion | 28 July-8 August |
| 19 | 2011 | Sacramento | United States |
Hornet Stadium | 6-17 July |
| 20 | 2013 | Porto Alegre |  Brazil |
Centro Estadual de Treinamento Esportivo | 15-27 October |
| 21 | 2015 | Lyon |  France |
Stade de Balmont | 4-16 August |
| 22 | 2016 | Perth | Australia |
Western Australian Athletics Stadium | 26 October-6 November |
| 23 | 2018 | Málaga | Spain |
Málaga Athletics Stadium | 4-16 September |
| 24 | 2022 | Tampere | Finland |
Ratinan Stadion | 29 June-10 July |
| 25 | 2024 | Gothenburg | Sweden |
Slottsskogsvallen & Ullevi Stadium | 13-25 August |
Indoor Events
Here are the places and dates for the indoor championships.
| Edition | Year | City | Country | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004 | Sindelfingen | Germany |
Glaspalast Sindelfingen | 10-14 March |
| 2 | 2006 | Linz |  Austria |
TipsArena Linz | 15-20 March |
| 3 | 2008 | Clermont-Ferrand | France |
Jean-Pellez Stadium | 17-22 March |
| 4 | 2010 | Kamloops | Canada |
Tournament Capital Centre | 2-7 March |
| 5 | 2012 | Jyvaskyla | Finland |
Hippos Hall | 3-8 April |
| 6 | 2014 | Budapest |  Hungary |
SYMA Sports Centre | 25-30 March |
| 7 | 2017 | Daegu |  South Korea |
Daegu Athletics Promotion Center | 19-25 March |
| 8 | 2019 | Toruń |  Poland |
Arena Toruń | 24-30 March |
| 9 | 2023 | Toruń | Poland |
Arena Toruń | 25-31 March |
| 10 | 2025 | Gainesville | USA |
Alachua County Sports & Events Center | 23-30 March |
See also
- Senior sport
