6 December 2016

• London 2017 LOC updated the IAAF Congress in Monaco

• Creative thinking at every stage of planning the Championships has been praised

The London 2017 LOC provided an update to the IAAF Congress last weekend ahead of next year’s IAAF World Championships London 2017.

The Congress – held in Monaco – marked another stage in the countdown to the Championships in the capital city, with key milestones presented to the delegates, which received an impressive reception.

The LOC have achieved all milestones to date and have identified and received approval on all venues. The team have hosted a series of site visits for IAAF staff, Event Service Providers, Rights Holders, Partners and Team Leaders and received excellent feedback in relation to all organisational matters across the visits.

One of the key components presented was the schedule for the marathons and festival of race walking in the city of London, which were announced last month. The plans, which offer the opportunity for the sport to dominate the landscape of London for the full summer, were roundly welcomed by the delegates.

Other significant areas discussed included the high ticket sales with over 500,000 tickets sold after the August ballot and the popular Volunteer ‘Runner’ programme, which received over 25,000 registrations for 4000 roles.

London 2017 Ltd LOC Championship Director, Niels de Vos commented:

“I was delighted to attend the IAAF Congress and deliver news on our progress ahead of an important year for the sport in the UK. Progress for the Championships has been going very well with key components in place to make sure we are in the best possible place heading into the New Year. All the key decision makers in track and field from across the globe were present and they were highly encouraged by our update as we near the end of the year.”

Following the presentation, IAAF Organisational delegate Sylvia Barlag said:

“I really appreciated the way the LOC is thinking creatively at every stage of planning the Championships and how they are using specialists across all the functional areas.

“I have seen the level of detail that has gone into the LOC’s planning and the joined up approach working with the IAAF staff is impressive. We admire the unique way in which they are selling tickets to achieve full sessions and the engagement with the City of London for the Marathon and Race Walk courses, all around iconic venues.”