'Not convinced this is the right move': Malindi Elmore objects to removal of marathon from athletics worlds

A trio of Canadian elite road runners expressed disappointment to CBC Sports following World Athletics’ decision last month to remove the marathon from the World Athletics Championships after 2029 for a standalone event.

Malindi Elmore, a former track runner who raced her first marathon in 2019, expects negative consequences to follow.

While the 46-year-old has never competed at worlds, she understands the importance of being named to a national team and representing your country at a major championship.

“It’s a special experience and something athletes work hard for,” said Elmore, a two-time Olympian in the marathon who has raced at the Pan American and Commonwealth Games. “I think this proposed change is essentially “shuffling” it away and burying it in a major mass participation marathon.”

The World Marathon Championship will be an annual competition, beginning in the fall of 2030. The international governing body has opened talks with Athens to host the first competition, according to Reuters.

A World Athletics spokesperson told CBC Sports the marathon is being moved to conditions where it can thrive “and expanding World Athletics’ presence in the broader running ecosystem.”

Climate change, the spokesperson stressed, is a driving force behind the decision. The world championships are usually held in July, August or September.

“Many city venues are simply too hot during the summer months to host marathons that attract the best athletes,” said the spokesperson. “We are considering a standalone autumn [marathon] championships that would combine the best elite athletes with our age groupers and mass participation runners.”

Elmore, who once held the Canadian record in the women’s marathon, believes including a