"VAN" (Sports Desk - 18.03.2026) :: 'Running for Clean Air' expands to three continents, five events in two years, as one of the most comprehensive athlete health and air quality monitoring programmes in athletics.
World Athletics today (17) announced the launch of phase two of its pioneering Running for Clean Air initiative, positioning the global governing body of athletics as the first major sports federation to implement systematic, multi-continental air quality monitoring at elite competitions.
Building on the successful foundation of phase one, which deployed air quality monitoring in Warsaw, Poland, and Lagos, Nigeria, phase two represents a significant expansion in both scale and scientific ambition. The initiative will monitor air quality at five major athletics competitions across three continents over two years:
- World Athletics Relays | Gaborone, Botswana | 2-3 May 2026
- Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok | Bangkok, Thailand | November 2026 and December 2027
- Valencia Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich | Valencia, Spain | December 2026 and December 2027
Funded by the Clean Air Fund, the initiative will deploy both static and dynamic air quality monitoring equipment measuring pollutants of major public health concern, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5 & PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ground-level ozone (O₃), providing real-time data dashboards accessible to athletes, event organisers and the public.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "At World Athletics, we believe that protecting athlete health is not optional. It is fundamental to our mission. 'Running for Clean Air' phase two marks a defining moment: for the first time, a major sports federation is systematically monitoring air quality across multiple continents and competition types. We are not just measuring the air our athletes breathe. We are setting a global standard for how sport takes responsibility for the environments in which it is performed."
Dr. Stéphane Bermon, Director of the Health and Science Department at World Athletics, said: "Athletes push their bodies to the absolute limit in pursuit of excellence. They breathe up to 10 times more air during competition than at rest, which means air quality is not an abstract environmental concern. It is a direct performance and health variable. The data we generate across Gaborone, Bangkok and Valencia will be transformative for World Athletics, for our Member Federations, and for the broader sports community."
Jane Burston OBE, founder and CEO of Clean Air Fund, said: "Air pollution is a public health crisis that affects every part of our lives, including the sports we love. Athletes train for years to reach the highest levels of performance, and they deserve to compete in environments that support their health. This initiative is bringing much-needed attention to the critical role of clean air in sport. Clean Air Fund is proud to support work that protects athletes and delivers healthier air for communities around the world."
The initiative goes beyond data collection. At each competition, World Athletics will deliver athlete education programmes, volunteer training on air quality awareness, community engagement activities and scientific research designed for peer-reviewed publication. A position paper on air quality thresholds and risk management will be disseminated to all 214 World Athletics Member Federations.
Phase two is led by the World Athletics Health and Science Department in collaboration with partners such as Arup, Kunak and UrbanBetter.
Running for Clean Air aligns with World Athletics' Sustainability Strategy 2020 to 2030 and contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action).
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