World Treadmill Championship opens global 5km contest with $100,000 prize pool

A new World Treadmill Championship is giving amateur and elite runners a shared route to a global title through a five-kilometre indoor competition. BBC Sport reports that the World Athletics-sanctioned event, known as Run X, has a total prize pool of $100,000, with qualifying performances recorded on a worldwide virtual leaderboard.

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Entry is free at official Run X centres, where runners have until 24 January to complete the distance. The leading 25% in age groups ranging from 18 to 75-plus will progress to regional competition and represent their countries. The best 10 men and women in each category will then qualify for the world finals in Italy next March, according to the BBC's account of the format.

The competition currently involves 20 countries, although the registered elite field has not been made public. Organisers also hope to encourage participation through wildcard opportunities for events including the 2027 World Road Running Championships in China. Those incentives sit alongside the prize fund, but the BBC report did not identify the full list of professional athletes who will compete.

British marathon runner Charlotte Purdue was among those taking part in a qualifying session attended by BBC Sport at a Southampton gym. She completed her five kilometres in 18 minutes 15 seconds. Purdue told the broadcaster that she regularly uses a treadmill in training and welcomed the shorter distance as a way for people to try competitive running. She also acknowledged that a marathon-length contest would suit her better.

World Athletics president Lord Coe told the BBC that the competition could bring new participants into running across different age groups. He emphasised the importance of innovation and technology in attracting younger people. Technogym UK, a co-organiser, described the five-kilometre distance as an accessible starting point. There is also an ambition to bring treadmill running into esports within five years, rather than a confirmed timetable for its inclusion.

Members of the She Strides running club joined the Southampton session alongside Purdue. Founder Hollie Thackway highlighted a different benefit of the indoor format: women who feel unsafe running outside in winter can continue training on treadmills. She told BBC Sport that access to indoor running helps participants maintain their programmes and pursue their goals when darker conditions would otherwise force changes to their routines.