ATHLETICS The global sport
International Association of Athletics Federations
run. jump. throw.
Athletics | Contents
Contents 01 02
03
A MODERN SPORT
05 06 08 10 12
President’s foreword A century of global competition Developing athletics worldwide A growing global family In step with today’s key issues
GLOBAL COMPETITION 16 18 18 22 24 24 26 28 28 30
IAAF competition programme IAAF World Championships in Athletics IAAF World Cup IAAF World Indoor Championships IAAF World Junior Championships IAAF World Youth Championships IAAF World Cross Country Championships IAAF World Half Marathon Championships IAAF World Race Walking Cup IAAF World Tour
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE 34 36 38
Building for a changing world Securing the next generation IAAF commercial partners 02/03
Russia’s pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva is among the stars of modern athletics.
President Lamine Diack (SEN) Senior Vice President Sergey Bubka (UKR) Vice Presidents Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad (QAT) Sebastian Coe (GBR) Robert Hersh (USA) Honorary Treasurer Jean Poczobut (FRA) Individual Members Bill Bailey (AUS] Valentin Balakhnichev [RUS) Leonard Chuene (RSA) Pauline Davis-Thompson (BAH) Helmut Digel (GER) Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR) Roberto Gesta De Melo (BRA) Abby Hoffman (CAN) Alberto Juantorena Danger (CUB) Hamad Kalkaba Malboum (CMR) Suresh Kalmadi (IND) Ilkka Kanerva (FIN) Isaiah F. Kiplagat (KEN) Chaoyi Luo (CHN) Neville McCook (JAM) Cesar Moreno Bravo (MEX) Jose Maria Odriozola (ESP) Jung-Ki Park (KOR) Anna Riccardi (ITA) Katsuyuki Tanaka (JPN) Hans Jörg Wirz (SUI) General Secretary Pierre Weiss (FRA)
Athletics | A modern sport
A modern sport I am delighted to introduce this brochure, which is designed to present the exciting and life-enhancing sport of athletics to ever more markets. In today’s fast-changing world, sport federations such as the IAAF, the International Association of Athletics Federations, need to be pro-active when trying to reach new audiences and find new hosts for their events. Athletics is probably the oldest organised sport, based on the purest physical skills of Running, Jumping and Throwing. It is also a pastime which offers broader values that help us deal with life’s challenges. Like every other sport in the current challenging economic climate, however, athletics needs to gain interest and confidence. The IAAF has already achieved commercial success with improved revenues and financial guarantees. Our World Athletics Series, with its jewel the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, is, along with the Olympic Games, the showpiece of the sport’s international competition structure. The marketing potential of the next edition is excellent, with only the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup bigger in terms of global reach and impact. We expect to have close to 200 countries broadcasting from Berlin 2009.
facilities means that there are IAAF events available for many different cities, large and small. Although the IAAF member federations must always remain central to the organisation of our events because they are directly associated to us and also have the technical expertise needed to organise athletics competitions, they also need other partners within their countries. The growth of what could be called the sport hosting business means that city, regional and even national authorities play an increasingly crucial role. In many cases, we believe that the resources, energy and enthusiasm needed to organise world class sporting events may be found in these organisations. The IAAF is determined to extend the success and attractiveness not only of our world championship events but also to the annual circuit of one-day competitions. We are happy to offer new and exciting prospects for athletes and spectators alike. And we are working hard to ensure that every area of the sport is reviewed, put to the test, and encouraged to move forward.
Both the IAAF World Championships and the Olympic Games continue to play to packed stadiums and attract TV audiences in their billions. But the IAAF also has a myriad of other competitions ranging from Youth age (Under 18) world championships to cross country and road race events. I believe that the variety and the different demands in terms of logistics, budget and
With best wishes,
Lamine Diack Lamine Diack IAAF President
04/05
A century of global competition
Jesse Owens (USA) made his mark on history at the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games.
In 1954, Roger Bannister (GBR) became the first man in history to run a mile in under four minutes. Athletics has been the centerpiece of the Olympic Games since Ancient Greece.
In 1912‌
0 17
Global TV audience
Member federations
0 95
Commercial partners
World Records (all for men)
1 10.6
World Championship (The Olympic Games)
Seconds, Men’s 100m World Record
Athletics | A modern sport
Athletics is the essence of sport. It is competition without complexity: the fastest, the furthest, the highest. Perhaps because it shares this core objective with the Olympic Movement, the sport has been the centerpiece of the Olympic Games since Ancient Greece. Indeed, for many decades, the Games were the only global championships in athletics.
It was into the amateur tradition that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was born, on 17 July 1912. The original mandate was simply to develop universal rules and regulations for athletics, and to establish an authoritative register of world and Olympic records. Seventeen nations were represented at that historic meeting, held two days after the final athletics events of the 1912 Olympic Games. A year later, 34 nations signed up to the IAAF’s first constitution, and J Sigfrid
The principle of simple physical competition has always been at the heart of the sport’s human appeal.
Edström from Sweden was elected as the first IAAF President. Today, nearly a century on, the IAAF has grown to 213 member federations covering every corner of the world. More than that, the organisation’s role has expanded to embrace a modern sports marketplace in which athletics continues to grow in global popularity. And today, the IAAF’s own World Championships in Athletics, first held in Helsinki in 1983, stand at the pinnacle of a global IAAF competition programme that caters for every discipline of the sport – from youth athletics to road running.
In 2008, Usain Bolt (JAM) pushed the boundaries of the sport yet further, breaking three world records at the Beijing Olympic Games. Local hero Tiina Lillak (FIN) won the javelin gold medal at the first IAAF World Championships, held in Helsinki in 1983.
In 2009…
6bn 213
Global TV audience
Member federations
9 187
Commercial partners
World records
11 9.69
World Championships, Cups & Challenges
Seconds, Men’s 100m World Record
06/07
China’s Liu Xiang, a world and Olympic Champion hurdler, enjoys the fanatical support of millions of followers.
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IAAF MISSION To foster the worldwide development of athletics, establishing friendly and loyal co-operation between all members for the benefit of athletics, peace and understanding between nations.
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Athletics | A modern sport
Developing athletics worldwide The role of the IAAF has evolved over nearly 100 years, just as athletics itself has grown in global popularity. The fundamental role of the IAAF remains unchanged from our earliest days. Through our council, committees and biannual congress, we oversee the rules and regulations of athletics. We also approve all world records: junior and senior, men’s and women’s, indoor and outdoor. And we organise the annual programme of international competitions for the world’s elite athletes. Our global schedule of world championships, challenges and cups covers every aspect of the sport: from cross country to track and field multi-events. In addition, we oversee and regulate the world’s finest one-day athletics meetings; grant permits for the best indoor meetings and cross country fixtures; approve and grade the world’s best road races; and administer annual competition series for race walkers and combined events athletes. Away from competition, the IAAF provides leadership across a number of other key platforms.
For example, we promote health and well-being, providing medical and health advice to coaches and athletes, including information about nutrition and injury prevention. Since 1999, the IAAF has administered a certification system for athletics equipment and implements, including running tracks, to ensure they conform to IAAF specifications. This guarantees the validity and accuracy of performances and the safety of athletes.
Capturing new audiences A worldwide athlete development programme has been in place since the 1970s and now includes a series of regional development centres and High Performance Training Centres.
And underpinning all this work is a buoyant commercial programme and a commitment to reaching new audiences in a changing modern world. From our headquarters in Monaco, the IAAF takes global responsibility for the promotion and marketing of athletics as the basis of the sport’s wider development. We produce a portfolio of print and online publications and pursue proactive and collaborative relationships with broadcasters and sponsors. In particular, we put an emphasis on engaging young people with the aim of making athletics the number one participation sport in schools.
The IAAF also oversees a facility accreditation system, and runs hundreds of courses, workshops and advice sessions for coaches, technical officials, competition organisers and administrators. 08/09
Athletics | A modern sport
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the iaaf can boast more members than the united nations.
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Putting athletes first
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The IAAF’s world-class events shape the ambitions and programmes of the world’s top athletes year after year, while its youth and junior championships provide a supportive structure for the development of aspiring young competitors. We know that athletes and athletes’ needs are at the heart of the IAAF vision and thinking. The IAAF Athletes’ Commission includes a host of great names from our sport. I am privileged to be part of that commission too and pleased to be able to play my part in ensuring the athlete’s voice is heard when the IAAF makes decisions about the sport’s structure, development and future. Ultimately, our sport is about athletes, and I’m pleased to say the IAAF continues to put athletes first.
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Paula Radcliffe Marathon world record holder and Athletes’ Commission member
A growing global family Athletics has grown to become one of the world’s most popular and successful sports, attracting new competitors and fans from every corner of the globe. As the world governing body for athletics, we at the IAAF are responsible for ensuring the health and wellbeing of the ‘Athletics Family’ – from athletes and coaches to spectators, media and commercial partners – and for developing the sport worldwide. Friendly and loyal cooperation between all members of the Athletics Family is the central principle of the IAAF vision for the worldwide development of athletics. In order to achieve this vision, the IAAF works closely with our Member Federations. At present, the total number of countries and territories affiliated to the IAAF stands
at 213, placing us among the world’s largest sporting organisations with more members than the United Nations. We also have six IAAF Area Associations, covering the following areas: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, Central America and Caribbean and South America. All federations are invited to attend the IAAF Congress every two years with elections held during even-numbered Congresses. Having previously functioned with a voting system that favoured the wealthier, developed nations, the IAAF adopted the ultimate democratic system of ‘one country, one vote’ in 1987. The universal reach of the IAAF means that our events have been held all over the world and we positively encourage this development.
10/11
In step with today’s key issues The 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, were the launchpad for our global sustainability project – part of an ongoing programme of pioneering social development work.
Osaka 2007 provided a model for carbon reduction at major events:
73 tonnes of waste recycled
135 hybrid vehicles used for official transportation
620,000 KWh of green power used for television broadcasts
Athletics | A modern sport
The IAAF has a unique global platform on issues ranging from antidoping to sustainable development. We are committed to using athletics as a driver for lasting social change. Under our Green Project, launched in 2007, the IAAF aims to reduce the environmental impact of our events and contribute to the well being of the planet.
The programme includes ‘Green Earth’ carbon offsetting initiatives (see inset). There are also series of ‘Green Management’ programmes, such as the Pan-African Project, which focusses on controlling the consumption of natural resources. It works with athletes, local communities, media and corporate partners to build support for its aims.
We were the first international sports federation, in 1928, to ban performanceenhancing drugs. Today we are responsible for conducting 3,500 in- and out of-competition tests around the world each year. We are also investing our US$2.8m anti-doping budget in developing extensive education and information services for athletes and coaches.
Meanwhile the IAAF continues to lead the fight against doping in modern sport.
Planting the ‘Green Earth’ idea Osaka’s mayor Junichi Seki joined every gold medalist from the 2007 World Championships in planting a tree to help offset the event’s carbon impact. The ‘Green Earth’ promotional activities, which included a theme song by international star Sarah Brightman, also helped raise US$120,000 for much-needed revegetation programmes in neighbouring Indonesia.
12/13
GLOBAL
COMPETITION
Heptathletes celebrate together at the conclusion of the 2007 World Championships competition.
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
Competition Programme The IAAF’s global calendar features events on every continent, and sees the best athletes in the world compete against each other every year. The IAAF competition programme includes nine World Championships events, the World Athletics Tour, the series of indoor and cross country permit meetings, IAAF challenge meetings for race walking and combined events competition, and a network of IAAFendorsed gold and silver label road races.
The premier events, the IAAF’s own world championship and world cups, are organised on a four-year cycle.
Together these constitute a global programme of international competitions for the world’s elite athletes covering every aspect of the sport – track and field, cross country, road running, race walking, multi-events, junior, youth and indoors.
The objective of the Tour is to ensure that only the highest quality competitions are staged under the IAAF brand. It includes at least one meeting from each continental area.
a t
Running alongside the championships is the sport’s prestigious World Athletics Tour – an annual circuit of the world’s best one-day athletics meetings.
IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATHLETICS
IAAF WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
IAAF WORLD CUP
I AAF WORLD HALF MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS
IAAF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS IAAF WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS
IAAF commercial history was made in 2008 when President Lamine Diack announced an unprecedented 11-year partnership with sportswear giant adidas. The deal grants adidas worldwide sponsorship rights for all IAAF World Championships events until 2019. And the agreement extends to grassroots development and retail distribution.
a gla n ce . . .
IAAF WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Adidas in for the long run
IAAF WORLD RACE WALKING CUP IAAF WORLD TOUR
Herbert Hainer, chairman of adidas AG, greeted the partnership as a fitting tribute to the “heritage of the adidas brand” which is “closely linked with the legacy of athletics and the IAAF”. He said: “We are looking forward to shaping the future of athletics together at all levels in the coming years.”
16/17
City-wide participation Organisers of the Berlin 2009 IAAF World Championships had a vision that extended well beyond the imposing gates of the Olympic Stadium. A city activation programme was devised to leverage the event across the German capital, engaging the local population in a year-long festival of athletics. The marketing campaign began in September 2008 when an international pole vault competition was staged in front of the Brandenburg Gate, with full tribunes and a spectacular backdrop for TV. Chief executive Heinrich Clausen said: “We want to give people a great atmosphere and guarantee great pictures. “It is very important that Berliners feel included in the activities.”
International pole vaulters competed on a unique public stage in the centre of Berlin in September 2008.
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
World Championships The World Championships is the jewel in the crown of the IAAF’s global competition programme. It is the third-largest sporting event in the world, involving athletes from 200 nations competing for 47 gold medals. The first World Championships in Athletics was held in Helsinki in 1983. Today, the competition is staged every two years.
The event in numbers...
nine competition days 2000 athletes 200 countries 10,500 officials and volunteers more than US$7,000,000 in prize money up to 500,000 spectators 6bn Global TV viewers in 190 countries US$80 million economic impact
IAAF
World Cup
The premier team competition of world athletics sees the greatest talents on earth compete, not for individual medals, but to accumulate points for their continental teams.
The IAAF World Cup is contested by mixed teams representing Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The event takes place over two or three days and is held every four years. 18/19
The world is watching
Osaka 2007
5.1bn
180
The 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan, were watched by a global audience of 5.1bn people.
TV viewers in 180 territories tuned in, with 5,021 hours of action broadcast worldwide.
2,500
330mn
accredited media personnel attended the 2007 IAAF World Championships – 650 press, 1850 broadcast.
In the host country, Japan, the event attracted a dedicated audience of 330 million over 88 hours of coverage.
City boost The economic impact of the 12th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain, in 2008 is expected to be felt for up to a decade across the local region. The event’s 2003 host Birmingham benefitted from a US$5.2million financial boost to the city and its surrounding area. Spectators, athletes, officials and media spent US$3.8 million during the championships, while nearly US$1.4million of extra goods and services were delivered locally thanks to funding from UK Sport, the UK government’s agency for major events. And the event attracted subsequent investment to the region with 60 per cent of spectators saying they would be more likely to return in the future.
Cuba’s Yargelis Savigne won the women’s Triple Jump event at the 2007 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Valencia.
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
World Indoor Championships
The IAAF World Indoor Championships provide three action-packed days of intense competition in an intimate arena where fans can see many of the world’s best athletes up-close-and-personal. First held as the World Indoor Games, in Paris in 1985, the championships were staged on odd years until 2003 when they were switched to an even year schedule to provide a better balance to the IAAF competitions programme.
The event in numbers...
three days 26 EVENTS more than 500 athletes 150+ competing nations more than 400 officials 1000 media up to 50,000 spectators
F las h b ack t o ‌ Pa r is , 1 9 9 7 Wilson Kipketer (DEN) woke up the championships with a world record 800m run in the morning qualifying round. He returned to take a further second off this time in the final.
22/23
Young local performers took part in a spectacular Opening Ceremony for the IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing in 2006.
Bolt through the ranks
They couldn’t have been further from the truth. In fact, Bolt began astonishing the athletics world when he was still in his teens, producing headturning performances at the IAAF World Youth and World Junior Championships. His first appearance on the world stage came in Debrecen, Hungary, back in 2001, but it was the following year when he first lit up the record books.
When Usain Bolt burst through the record barriers to win three gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, some headline writers greeted his rise to the peak of world sprinting as a ‘Bolt from the blue’.
At 15 years and 332 days, Bolt won the 200m gold medal at the 2002 IAAF World Junior Championships, becoming the youngest ever world junior champion and the fastest 15-year-old ever with a time of 20.58 seconds.
To make the performance more special still, those World Junior Championships were held in Kingston, Jamaica, and on the day of his final more than 25,000 people turned out to watch the local hero they already knew was destined to beat the world. Then following year, he returned to the IAAF World Youth Championships, held in Sherbrooke, Canada, and became the world youth champion in 20.40, the fastest ever by a 16-yearold. For the second year in a row he won the IAAF’s Rising Star award. Five years later his star stopped rising, simply because it could rise no further, as Bolt reached greater heights than any sprinter in history with three Olympic golds and three world records.
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
World Junior Championships The IAAF World Junior Championships bring the best young athletes from around the world together to compete against each other on the global stage. The event gives 18 and 19-year-old athletes valuable experience of a world event. And it allows the athletics world a glimpse of the outstanding talents of the future.
IAAF
World Youth Championships
The IAAF World Youth Championships are the premier event for the world’s best 16 and 17-year-old athletes. The competition has been staged every two years since 1999.
The event in numbers...
every two years six days 44 events more than 1400 athletes 450 media up to 25,000 spectators a day
The event in numbers...
FIVE DAYS 40 events more than 1200 athletes 100 media 600 team officials up to 15,000 spectators a day 24/25
Mombassa, Kenya, lent its breathtaking landscape to the 2007 event.
MORE THAN 10,000 ATHLETES FROM 164 COUNTRIES HAVE COMPETED IN THE ‘WORLD CROSS.’
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
World Cross Country Championships
Natural land is the stage on which many of the world’s greatest distance runners learn their craft. The ‘World Cross’ is the oldest competition in the IAAF calendar, connecting the modern professional sport with its roots in the nineteenth century. The event has been held every year since 1973, although its origins can be traced to the International Cross Country Championships first held in 1903. Medals are awarded for both team and individual performances.
The event in numbers...
ONE day four races (senior and junior) 500 athletes 70 countries 200 officials 400 media
MAKING AN I MPR E S S I ON The Edinburgh 2008 brand made its presence felt across the Scottish capital in the run-up to the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The IAAF has identified city branding as a major focus of its future commercial activities. 26/27
IAAF
World Half Marathon Championships
Rio de Janeiro provided a spectacular setting for competitors in the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. Right: The mass entry race saw thousands of amateur athletes take to the streets.
IAAF
World Race Walking Cup
The IAAF World Race Walking Cup is a two-day festival celebrating one of the sport’s most punishing disciplines. With five races (including two for juniors), it provides the best race walkers in the world with an opportunity to shine on the world athletics stage. Around 500 athletes from 60 countries take part in the biennial event, which attracts average crowds of 25,000 spectators. The 2008 edition, held in Cheboksary, Russia, was covered by 60 media personnel from territories around the world.
Athletics | A Global Stage
Road running’s The event in numbers... international elite compete against the backdrop of the ONE day some of the world’s most attractive locations in this TWO races annual event. 200 athletes The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were first held in 1992 as part of the UK’s Great North Run, the largest mass participation road race in the world. The event includes men’s and women’s races with both individual and team honours at stake. It is usually held on public roads, often with the addition of a public mass entry race.
40 countries 100 officials 100 media up to 15,000 spectators. 28/29
Athletics | A global stage
IAAF
World Athletics Tour
The IAAF’s seasonlong circuit links the world’s best international invitation meetings. It includes at least one meeting from each continental area. Athletes accumulate points throughout the season depending on their place and performances, with qualification for the showcase World Athletics Final among the prizes on offer. The Tour’s premier division is the ÄF Golden League – one of two tiers of athletics competition. The ÄF Golden League brand was created to unify and promote the most prestigious one- and two-day meetings.
Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlasic is among the glamorous personalities of the IAAF World Tour.
For competing athletes, the concept is simple: win your discipline in all the ÄF Golden League events and share in a jackpot of 50kg of gold ingots.
Because of the jackpot and the big prize money on offer, the ÄF Golden League attracts the greatest names in the sport – and the biggest TV and sponsorship numbers outside of the outdoor World Championships. And all the action is played to sell-out crowds in some of sport’s most iconic venues.
STOP PRESS: As this brochure went to press, the IAAF announced the creation of a new global circuit of meetings to replace the ÄF Golden League. It will be called the IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE, with the first edition in 2010. The circuit will run from May to September and will include all 32 athletic events. There will be at least 12 meetings in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and USA.
ÄF GOLDEN LEAGUE in numbers...
6 meetings US$ 1 mILLION jackpot World record bonuses 30/31
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Children in Jamaica get an early taste of athletics as part of an IAAF programme.
Building for a changing world As we approach our centenary in 2012, we at the IAAF are committed to ensuring athletics maintains its position in the face of new global challenges. In 2003, the IAAF Congress approved the Athletics World Plan – a long-term strategy for athletics, designed to drive the sport forward as the IAAF prepares for its Centenary in 2012. The Plan outlines a number of key objectives, focus areas and actions which form the basis of the IAAF’s approach to managing the sport. As part of this Plan, the IAAF and its partners are reviewing many of its competitions to make the action more appealing, attractive and dramatic for spectators, broadcasters and sponsors.
Our core strategy is to engage as many athletes from our 213 member federations as possible, without diluting the spirit of the sport.
Pioneering reforms The enhancements to competition set-ups and presentation are set to be introduced from the Doha 2010 edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships and the Daegu 2011 edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. But the Athletics World Plan has already led to many pioneering initiatives such
Athletics | A vision for the future
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To remain the number one sport for individuals in a changing world.
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IAAF Centenary goals
as the creation of School and Youth programmes and a new structure for the annual circuit of one-day meetings. Sponsorship of IAAF events has never been so buoyant. All sponsorship packages were sold for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics, which took place in Osaka, Japan, while only one package for the Berlin edition remained available in early 2009.
Soaring commercial income And the IAAF continues to sign long-term sponsorship contracts which helps to ensure our financial stability. At the end of 2008, we signed the biggest sponsorship contract in our history with adidas, which now enjoys worldwide
sponsorship rights for all IAAF World Athletic Series events until 2019. As part of the President’s plan for supporting the Areas, IAAF sponsorships are now helping to raise funds and supply products at a regional level. Increasing TV coverage of the IAAF’s top events is another priority, with the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin expected to break distribution records, potentially reaching more than 200 territories around the world. The strategy is to obtain longer term TV deals, with as much free to air broadcast coverage as possible, to ensure the widest possible distribution of future events.
l Recapture the interest and
imagination of young people
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oost the TV and commercial B reach of the sport
l
uild a competition structure for B the future
l Improve the structure of the sport
at grassroots level, especially in schools
l Support the Athletics Family
34/35
Athletics | A vision for the future
Securing the next generation A key part of the IAAF’s vision is the re-birth of athletics as a core element of every child’s education.
The objective is to present athletics in a fun and playful way so that children experience it as a game and are encouraged to continue in the sport.
Playful
Athletics develops children in a rounded way and builds the physical basis for them to thrive in practically any other physical activity. As a pastime, it also offers broad, guiding values for life, helping to prepare young people for the challenges they face.
The IAAF also devoted $450,000 in 2007 to Kids’ Athletics, a project aimed at attracting young people to the sport at a basic level. Overall, it aims to spend $1.35 million on the programme.
The IAAF’s first World Athletics Day in 1996 aimed to unite youngsters around the world in a spirit of competition and common endeavour. Held annually since, the Day was re-focused in 2006 on establishing athletics as the number one participation sport in schools all over the world.
“We must build on the universal appeal of athletics to take our sport forward”. IAAF President, Lamine Diack
Kids’ Athletics aims to popularise the sport by teaching the basics of running, jumping and throwing to three age groups – 7-8 year-olds, 9-10, and 11-12. As part of the programme the IAAF runs lecturers’ and coaches’ courses, produces guides and education cards, and publishes a kids and youth newsletter. There is also an online network of schools, called the Kids’ Virtual Club. The IAAF’s team of Ambassadors play a key role in bringing the youth engagement programme to life throughout the world. They include ex-World and Olympic Champions such as Frankie Fredericks and Hicham El Guerrouj, whose master classes help to inspire and encourage the next generation.
Spikes in youth engagement Spikes is a cutting-edge magazine and interactive website for young people launched in 2008 by the IAAF and UK Athletics and set to be rolled out worldwide. Described by IAAF Vice-President Sebastian Coe as the sport’s “shop-front for a new era”, Spikes aims to capture the imagination of those who follow athletics and reach out to the next generation of fans.
The magazine presents athletics in an exciting format full of colour, quotes and pictures. Aiming to be interesting as well as informative, it tackles some taboo subjects, including drugs, world records, rule changes and the relationship between able-bodied and disabled athletics.
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To keep kids involved in athletics, show them how much fun it is.
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Frankie Fredericks, IAAF Athlete Ambassador
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The Official IAAF Partners
Official IAAF Broadcasters RATIO
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Produced for the IAAF by Seven46 Publications and Vero Communications. Editor: Catherine Inkster Art Director: Paul Sinclair Designer: Paula McCormick Writer: Matthew Brown Editorial Director: Nick Varley Photography: Getty Images With thanks to: Luis Carulla, Nick Davies, Paul Hardy, Cinzia Hardy Molinari, Mike Lee, Dave Gledhill and Neil Loft.
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