Even today, cross-country and exercise races involve a great many more people than athletics competitions in the arenas.

Going forward, the International Athletics Association (World Athletics, WA) intends to invest even more in races outside the arenas. This is stated in his strategy program for the years up to 2023.

"Our overall vision and purpose of this strategic plan is to grow our entire sport," WA writes.

WA writes that the coronary restrictions led to more and more people starting to walk and run or record simple family games with running, jumping and throwing.

"In many ways, there has never been a better time for us to show off and build on what our sport has to offer in its simplest form," WA writes.

In addition to working with the International Olympic Committee to include cross-country skiing on the Olympic program, it is planned to gather more of its branches in the same championship. Like having the World Cup with different forms of running on streets such as half marathon together with, for example, Ekiden (multi-day relay race), or team competition in progress or 5-kilometer championships. Or have a combined World Cup with all kinds of cross country, cross country, trail and mountain running.

"Overall championships (street races and terrain) may be relevant as early as 2023 and the same timeline applies to the inclusion of cross country races in the Olympics," WA writes.

WA Chairman Sebastian Coe writes in a comment on the new strategy that "it is time to have vision, be brave and resolute".

What he is aiming for are the changes that sport must make on a more comprehensive level in terms of organization and transparency within the federation and sports.

“We have sponsors and stakeholders who carefully monitor how we handle the sport in terms of transparency and responsibility. Our partnerships and revenue are under threat if we do not act directly and decisively, "comments Coe.

“We have to accept that athletics' reputation was shamed by events last year. We have to work hard to rebuild our reputation and confidence inside and outside the sport. "

WA ended up in blustery weather in connection with the World Cup in Qatar last year, partly for placing the World Cup in a country that has major shortcomings in terms of human rights and guest workers' working conditions, and partly for the extreme heat that caused the audience to fail and the marathon race to be decided at midnight.

CLIP: Jakob Ingebrigtsen set a new Norwegian record - in the season debut (20 May 2020)

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