WORLD Athletics will launch a new campaign to support those who have discovered the sport in lockdown, during which research indicates that exercise has increased by 88 percent.
The initiative is part of the four-year strategic plan announced by track and field’s international governing body, along with new details of the qualification system for the Tokyo Games, for which next year’s World Relays, in Silesia, have been confirmed as a qualifying event.
The plan—full details of which will be available at the end of June—has been discussed recently in three online meetings involving the World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, and representatives of the 214 member-federations.
Noting that the World Athletics headquarters has been opened this week after an 11-week closure, Coe said: “Over the next few months we have an unprecedented opportunity on the back of the increased physical activity of people in lockdown.”
“The latest research from runrepeat.com shows that exercise has increased by 88 percent during lockdown and running and walking has topped the tables,” Coe said. “We need to inspire these people to continue the habits they have learned and we will with our own campaigns but also by embracing campaigns that many others in our sport are driving.”
One of the key elements of the plan is called Fans.
“We have continued to engage with our community through the innovative Athletics@Home and the Ultimate Garden Clash projects, and we will soon launch a campaign to encourage and assist those who have discovered our sport through running during lockdown to continue to stay fit and healthy as the world emerges from the pandemic,” Coe said.
The plan stated that by 2024, the aim is to increase broadcast reach, double-digital following and create a database of 1 million known fans who actively choose to connect and engage with the sport. Insidethegames