The Ultimate Guide to the 2025 World Athletics Championships

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Australia will field its largest-ever athletics team at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, where more than 2,000 athletes from around 200 nations will compete for glory across track, field, and road events.

The nine-day showcase, kicking off on Saturday and running until Sunday 21 September, doubles as a proving ground for rising stars and seasoned competitors vying for a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Among the new generation leading the charge is teenage sprinter Gout Gout, who has captured worldwide attention at just 17 years old, alongside fellow standouts distance runner Jess Hull and discus star Matt Denny.

Nearly a quarter of the team are 21 or under, underscoring the depth of young talent emerging on the world stage.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

When and where are the 2025 World Athletics Championships?

The championships will take place from 13 to 21 September in Tokyo, Japan.

The majority of events will be held at the Japan National Stadium, while road events, including the marathon and race walks, will take place on specially designed courses throughout the city.

This will be the second time Tokyo has hosted the championships and the third time they’ll be held in Japan. Tokyo first hosted the event in 1991 while they were held in Osaka in 2007.

The championships were first held in Helsinki, Finland in 1983, and since 1991, have been held every two years, with the most recent edition staged in Budapest, Hungary in August 2023.

Former big stars of the championships include Olympic great sprinters Usain Bolt and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, as well as pole vault legend Sergey Bubka.

What events are on the program?

More than 2,000 athletes from some 200 countries will compete for 147 medals across 49 events in Tokyo, with a total prize pool exceeding $13 million and bonuses of $155,000 awarded for each world record.

The championships feature a full range of track and field action, including 12 track events and eight field events, alongside the marathon and race walks over 20km and 35km for both men and women.

Multi-discipline contests include the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon, and the program also features the mixed 4x400m relay.

Who’s in Australia’s team?

The team blends established stars with rising talent, including high jumper Nicola Olyslagers who won silver at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, middle-distance star Jess Hull, who won silver in the 1,500m at the Paris Games, discus ace Matt Denny, who won bronze in Paris, and long jumper Liam Adcock, who is Oceania champion.

Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, who won bronze at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, will also be competing.

Emerging sprint sensation Gout Gout will make his senior debut in the men’s 200 metres, part of a young cohort that Australian Athletics chief executive Simon Hollingsworth said represents both current promise and potential for the lead-up to the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“You look across the cohort and it’s exciting for what they’ll do right now in Tokyo, but also what that potential represents over the period leading into LA and then beyond,” Hollingsworth said.

Some top athletes, however, will be missing in Tokyo, including reigning Olympic and world championships pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, race walker Jemima Montag, who won bronze in Paris, and sprinter Lachlan Kennedy, all of whom have been sidelined by injury.

Australia ranks 13th on the all-time World Athletics Championships medal table, having claimed 15 gold medals — 10 of which were won by individual athletes — and a total of 45 medals.

How can I watch the championships from Australia?

Starting Saturday, every session from the nine-day event will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, including the World Athletics Championships 2025 Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature full replays, mini recaps and Aussie Focus clips for every session.

Morning sessions will run from 8am to 1.30pm AEST on September 13–15 and 20–21, while evening sessions will be from 8pm to 11.30pm AEST each night of the championships.

SBS director of Sport Ken Shipp said the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo will be an “unmissable viewing” experience for Australian fans.

“We’ve broadcast ten editions of the World Athletics Championships since 2001, and this one shapes as a spectacular opportunity for Australia,” he said.

Bruce McAvaney will lead the expert commentary along with former world indoor 800m champion Tamsyn Manou to call the track events, while renowned SBS commentator David Basheer will bring audiences all the action in the field.