The major athletics events of 2025
Athletics will be in the spotlight in 2025, with several major events on the calendar this year, headlined by the World Championships
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Marrakech International Marathon and Half Marathon
African athletics will kick off its 2025 season on 26 January with the Marrakech International Marathon and Half Marathon. More than 15,000 athletes, including 110 elite runners, are expected for the 35th edition, the organisers say. "The 35th edition of the Marrakech International Marathon and Half Marathon will be an exceptional one, with a record number of participants," they explain. Kenyans Kitwara Sammy Irop and Kilimo Rhonzas Lokitam, along with Moroccan Mohamed Reda El Aaraby, will be in the field.
In the women's races, Ethiopians Beyene Tirfi Tsegaye and Bekele Abebech Afework, along with local runners Kaoutar Farkoussi, Rkia El Moukim, Kaltoum Bouaasariya and Hasna Zahi, will also compete.
Diamond League with a stop in Africa
The athletics season will inevitably be shaped by the various legs of the Diamond League. The first takes place in Xiamen, China, on 26 April. Several major dates follow, including one in Africa: the Mohamed VI International Meeting in Rabat on 26 May.
Marathon: a wild year ahead?
Talk of the athletics season inevitably means talk of the marathon. London, for example, takes place in April. Several other 42-kilometre races will follow in Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Valencia and elsewhere. These are all events where the dream of finally seeing a man run under two hours will fire up runners and fans alike. What's more, the temptation to break the marathon world record, held among men by the late Kelvin Kiptum and among women by Ruth Chepngetich, will certainly be on the minds of all the competitors.
Read also: Diamond League 2025: record increase in prize money for athletes
Oran, where future stars emerge
In April 2025, Algeria will host the African U18 and U20 Athletics Championships in Oran. This continental event has helped launch some of today's leading names, such as Letsile Tebogo and Ferdinand Omanyala...
The 2025 edition may well be the moment some new names make their mark. They will no doubt be the standard-bearers of African athletics in the years to come.
The World Championships, the headline event
The year's major event in athletics will be held in Tokyo. The World Championships take place from 13 to 21 September 2025. On the African side, Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo will have to live up to his new status, having gone from rising prospect to established athlete after his triumph in Paris.
Other African athletes such as Hughes Fabrice Zango, Faith Kipyegon and even Kiochoge will be closely watched.