The World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 is a premier global running event hosted by World Athletics and taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 19–20, 2026.
It stands out because it combines elite-level global championship races with massive open public races, allowing thousands of recreational runners to share the exact same courses as the world’s best athletes on the same day.
Key Distances & Schedule
The event crowns world champions and hosts mass participation fields across three distinct road distances:
- The One Mile: Takes place on Saturday, September 19 (morning). A fast, 1.6 km sprint through the city.
- The 5 km: Takes place on Saturday, September 19 (afternoon).
- The Half Marathon (21.1 km): Takes place on Sunday, September 20 (morning).
Highlights of the Event
| Feature | Details |
| Total Field | Up to 65,000 runners across all three distances, making it one of the largest participatory sporting events in Danish history. |
| Combined Format | Elite waves run first to compete for official World Athletics titles, followed directly by general mass-participation fields. |
| Courses & Spectators | Fast, flat road routes passing key landmarks like Østerbrogade, Trianglen, and Fælledparken, lined with power zones and live spectator entertainment. |
| Hub & Expo | The official race expo and packet pickup operate out of Forum Copenhagen in the days leading up to the races. |
The schedule and details for the One Mile race at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 take place on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
Event Schedule: One Mile (Saturday, Sept 19, 2026)
| Start Time | Wave / Race Category |
| 10:10 AM | Elite Women |
| 10:30 AM | Elite Men |
| 10:35 AM | Elite B + C |
| 10:36 AM | Mass Race (Open Public Field) |
Course & Venue Details
- Route: A fast, V-shaped road course. It runs through Østerbrogade, passes the spectator power zone at Trianglen, and finishes along the stretch past Parken Stadium.
- Participation: open to all runners (up to 10,000 participants) alongside the championship elite field.
Official online platforms and social media accounts for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26 and related running events in the city:
Official Event Websites
- World Athletics Copenhagen 26 Hub: The main event portal for race registration (One Mile, 5K, Half Marathon), course maps, elite field updates, and participant logistics. World Athletics
- Copenhagen Half Marathon (CPH Half): The organizer’s main website featuring news on local running culture, race entries, and logistics for Copenhagen’s road running series. CPH Half
Official Instagram Accounts
@cphhalf– The primary Instagram account for Copenhagen’s major road running events, providing regular updates on courses, registration announcements, training tips, and live coverage.@worldathletics– The official international governing body account, which covers elite athlete highlights, global championship announcements, and giveaway competitions related to Copenhagen 26.
As of the official entry lists for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Copenhagen 26, a total of 496 athletes (270 men, 226 women) are registered representing 86 National Federations (including 85 member federations plus the Athlete Refugee Team).
Summary of the participating athletes organized by their National Federations across all events (Road Mile, 5 km, and Half Marathon):
National Federations Summary
| Federation | Men | Women | Total Athletes |
| Algeria (ALG) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Andorra (AND) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Angola (ANG) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Argentina (ARG) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Armenia (ARM) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Athlete Refugee Team (ART) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Australia (AUS) | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| Austria (AUT) | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Azerbaijan (AZE) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Belgium (BEL) | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Bhutan (BHU) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bolivia (BOL) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Brazil (BRA) | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Bulgaria (BUL) | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Burundi (BDI) | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| Cameroon (CMR) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Canada (CAN) | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| Chile (CHI) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| China, PR (CHN) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Colombia (COL) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Comoros (COM) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Costa Rica (CRC) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Croatia (CRO) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Czechia (CZE) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Denmark (DEN) | 11 | 10 | 21 |
| Djibouti (DJI) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| El Salvador (ESA) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Eritrea (ERI) | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Estonia (EST) | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Ethiopia (ETH) | 7 | 11 | 18 |
| Finland (FIN) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| France (FRA) | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Georgia (GEO) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Germany (GER) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ghana (GHA) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Great Britain & N.I. (GBR) | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Greece (GRE) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Guatemala (GUA) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Honduras (HON) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Hungary (HUN) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Iceland (ISL) | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Ireland (IRL) | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Italy (ITA) | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Jamaica (JAM) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Japan (JPN) | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Jordan (JOR) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kenya (KEN) | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Kirghizistan (KGZ) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Latvia (LAT) | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Lithuania (LTU) | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| Luxembourg (LUX) | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Macao, China (MAC) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Malta (MLT) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mauritius (MRI) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mexico (MEX) | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Micronesia (FSM) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Moldova (MDA) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Monaco (MON) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Morocco (MAR) | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| Netherlands (NED) | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| New Zealand (NZL) | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Nigeria (NGR) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| North Macedonia (MKD) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Norway (NOR) | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Paraguay (PAR) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Peru (PER) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Poland (POL) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Portugal (POR) | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Puerto Rico (PUR) | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Romania (ROU) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rwanda (RWA) | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Singapore (SGP) | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| Slovak Republic (SVK) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Slovenia (SLO) | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| South Africa (RSA) | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| South Sudan (SSD) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Spain (ESP) | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Sweden (SWE) | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Switzerland (SUI) | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Tanzania (TAN) | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Tunisia (TUN) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Uganda (UGA) | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Ukraine (UKR) | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| United States (USA) | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| Uruguay (URU) | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Virgin Islands (ISV) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Key Roster Athletes Highlights
- United States (USA): Yared Nuguse (Road Mile), Vincent Ciattei (Road Mile), Hillary Bor (Half Marathon), Conner Mantz (Half Marathon), Weini Kelati (Half Marathon), Courtney Frerichs (5 km), Addison Wiley (Road Mile).
- Kenya (KEN): Nicholas Kipkorir (Half Marathon), Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (Half Marathon), Agnes Jebet Ngetich (Half Marathon), Brian Komen (Road Mile), Caroline Nyaga (5 km).
- Ethiopia (ETH): Tadese Worku (Half Marathon), Addisu Yihune (5 km), Tsigie Gebreselama (Half Marathon), Freweyni Hailu (Road Mile).
- Norway (NOR): Jakob Ingebrigtsen (5 km), Narve Gilje Nordås (5 km), Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal (Half Marathon).
- France (FRA): Jimmy Gressier (5 km), Bastien Augusto (Half Marathon), Agathe Guillemot (Road Mile).
- Uganda (UGA): Joshua Cheptegei (Half Marathon), Esther Chebet (Half Marathon).
The next high-profile mile races scheduled on the global athletics calendar feature both iconic road miles and end-of-season track fixtures:
Upcoming Mile Races (September – December 2026)
- New Balance 5th Avenue Mile
- Date: September 13, 2026
- Location: New York City, USA
- Type: Road Mile
- Details: The world’s premier road mile race, bringing together elite professional fields and mass-participation waves straight down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
- World Athletics Road Running Championships
- Date: September 19–20, 2026
- Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Type: World Championship Road Mile
- Details: Features the official World Championship Road Mile for elite men and women, contested on a fast urban loop in Copenhagen alongside the 5k and half-marathon events.
- Athlos NYC
- Date: October 2, 2026
- Location: New York City, USA
- Type: Track (Middle Distance)
- Details: High-stakes late-season track meeting dedicated to women’s track events, featuring top mid-distance athletes contesting the 1500m/Mile distances.
- Kalakaua Merrie Mile
- Date: December 12, 2026
- Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Type: Road Mile
- Details: Held as part of the Honolulu Marathon weekend along Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki, attracting top international middle-distance specialists.
