What must have been going through Lord Coe’s mind as he breezed onto the airless start line of the World Championship women’s marathon last night?

Stepping off a golf cart without a drop of sweat to mark his pristine suit the former endurance star has done enough hard miles on the road to know what the athletes behind him were about to face.

As he took his place amongst the dignitaries I couldn’t help thinking it was a little like Caesar looking down on gladiators and slaves in the colosseum. The inevitable happened. Around 40% of athletes dropped out despite the pedestrian pace at the race started at. Only the top seven broke 2:40.

Athletes who gave every bit of themselves for months of hard training set up to fail on what should have been one of the proudest moments of their lives.

Building atmosphere

This builds on the irony of atmosphere having to be pumped into a half empty stadium at vast monetary and environmental expense. Literally pouring cold air into atmosphere already as chilled as you might expect given the rent-a-crowd audience looking on.

It seems symbolic for where we are at the moment in world athletics. All the sugary social media in the world cannot deflect from reports of stadiums packed with bussed in migrant workers and amdist more relvations on suspicious payments made to IAAF officials.

I fully understand the IAAF’s desire to spread the sport. There’s a lot of money in that. I am however confused about how an empty stadium, and races where 41% of the field cannot finish contribute to spreading the appeal of athletics? There is an overriding feeling that money, greed and corporate interests will leave us with a championships heavy on polish, light on soul.

I don’t spread a sport from the top down. You dont drive participation and fans by throwing billions at at problem. Holding a major championships seems to make more sense to be the icing on the cake of a nation’s passion for a sport not a way of creating a passion that doesn’t exist. Even of this honestly were the goal of the IAAF the empty stadiums tell us it’s not suceeded. Of course there may be a longer term legacy for participation and interest in athletics in Qatar but there evidence from the past doesn’t leave me with much faith.

Of course, as always the athlete’s will save the IAAF and the games. They always do.

The athletes will still provide a fine show

The problem with criticising a games is that it somehow feels it takes something away from the athletes competition. It doesn’t. Quite the opposite the athletes who toed the line last night were faced with unique challenges.

A midnight start, crippling humidity and uncertainty about whether the race was going to go ahead right until the last minute. Every one of those athletes should command our respect. There were incredible performances with 2:17:08 marathoner Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya winning in 2:32:43 and 41 year old Roberta Groner of the USA running 2:38:44 for sixth.

Charlotte Purdue will have prepared as well as any British athlete could possibly have prepared. My heart goes out to her – a hugely talented athlete who works incredibly hard and was valiant in the face of a an international federation whose priorities seem further from athletes than ever before putting every obsticle in her path.

Will the rules and politics bring the demise of our sport?

However all three Ethiopian athletes, some of the favourites for the win, dropped out before halfway. In tough conditions 28 of the 68 starters didn’t make the finish on the seven lap course. What will happen in the four to five hours of race walking in the 50km at the same time tonight where only 24 women and 46 men due on their respective start lines.

Even one of the more crowd pleasing moments of the Champs, Braimar Suncar Dabo of Guinnea-Bissau helping Jonathan Busby of Aruba to the finish in the 5000m, was tarnished by the IAAF. Social media was awash of pictures and videos of the emotional  moment that showcased one of the true values of our sport.

The IAAF even tweeted about it themselves, taking the clicks and likes, before DQing Busby, who was nearly five minutes back from the winner.

Not a new opinion

Of course none of these opinions are new or original. Far better informed and more eloquent people than me have been saying this for a long time and predicted what we are now seeing.

Last night however crystallised opinion into fact. Doha is the Games where sports governance seems to lost touch with its core purpose.

In a political age of ‘double-downing’ on bad decisions let’s not hold our breath for those in sports governance positisions to accept the errors that have been made.

Let’s get behind the athletes now, cheer their incredible talent and hard work and dedication, but when the heat and humidity of Doha is over let’s take a long, cold look at the IAAF who are there to represent our athletes and our sport.

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The a first wave of endurance athletes was announced back in May and there were few surprises in the press release yesterday.

Wightman makes the cut

One of the most difficult calls for selectors will have been in the men’s 1500m. Despite leading the UK rankings in 2019 Charlie Da’Vall Grice misses out on selection after finishing 4th at the British Championships.

Instead the top three from the championships are selected with Neil Gourley, Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman make up the men’s 1500m team and despite moving to 4th on the UK all time list Grice misses out.

High hopes for Muir

Laura Muir won individual European gold last summer and earns selection for another World Championships and will be one of GBs leading medal hopes in the endruance events. Currently number one in the World on the IAAF rankings Muir has had a quite summer after winning the 1500 at the Anniversary Games in July.

Jemma Reekie and Sarah McDonald are also selected having finished 1st and 2nd at the British Champs both having previously bagged the qualification time. 3rd ranked Laura Weightman is selected in the 5000m.

Photo: Getty Images

800m selections in line with rankings

In total six women and eight men had achieved the standard in the 800m and the selections made are in line wit the 2019 rankings. With Laura Muir running the 1500m Shelayna Oskan-Clarke is selected as the winner of the British Championships in August. After the disappointment of missing out on Commonwealth Games selection last year Alex Bell will be a popular selection having finished third at the British Championships and third ranked in 2019.

The top three men in the 2019 rankings achieve selection led by Jamie Webb. Despite finishing 1st and 2nd at the British Championships neither Spencer Thomas nor Guy Learmonth had achieved the standard so Kyle Langford and Elliot Giles.

Griffiths injured as Hawkins and Purdue lead marathon challenge

In a post on his Twitter account Dewi Griffiths announced his decision to pull out of the team due to injury. As one of only three British men to have run inside the qualifying standard of 2:13 British distance fans will have been excited to see Griffiths and Hawkins leading the charge in Doha. We wish Dewi all the best for a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in Olympic year!

The last few months haven’t been easy both physically and mentally. Unfortunately I’ve had to accept it wasn’t meant to be and I will not be running for in the world championships next month. I still believe my best race is still yet to be run, but first I have to get healthy. https://t.co/J3euy1zJMB

— Dewi Griffiths (@dewigriff10k) September 3, 2019

After his fantastic 2:08:14 at London this year Callum Hawkins moved to 3rd on the UK all time list over the marathon distance. Hawkins should be considered a serious medal contender. He equalled the best performance by a British man at a World Championship marathon when 4th in London 2017 and led the Commonwealth Games marathon until his collapse in the closing stages. 

Charlotte Purdue was the leading British female at the 2017 World Championship marathon when she finished 13th. Since then she has taken her running on to a different level with a huge PB of 2:25:38 at London also taking her to 3rd on the UK all time rankings. Purdue should be considered as a potential medallist, in 2017 Amy Cragg took home a bronze medal with a time of 2:27:18.

Having finished London bang on the qualifying mark of 2:31:00 Tish Jones runs in her first major championships as the final marathon selection.

Callum Hawkins GBR crosses the finish line to place tenth and earn himself a PB. The Virgin Money London Marathon, 28 April 2019. Photo: Ian Walton for Virgin Money London Marathon

In form Twell in the 10000m

Steph Twell leads the UK 10000m rankings and is selected along with Eilish McColgan. Twell has a had an excellent year having taken the decision to self coach she has achieved PBs at 10000m and 10km and also set a half marathon best of 71:33 to finish 2nd at the Big Half.

Eilish McColgan finished 10th in the 5000m at London 2017 but in Doha the versatile athlete will mount her challenge over 10000m. Having set a PB of 31:16.76 at Parliament hill McColgan is now ranking in the UK all time top 10 over 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10000m.

No men achieved the standard of 27:40.00 but the two men who have run inside 28 minutes, Marc Scott and Ben Connor are both selected in the 5000m.

Full teams for the 5000m

A full complement of six athletes are selected in the 5000m. The men’s selections are in line with the UK rankings with Andrew Butchart leading the challenge after his 13:06.21 at the Anniversary Games. British 10000m Champion Ben Connor is selected in the 5000m after hitting the qualifying mark with 13:19.47 at the Anniversary Games. Marc Scott will look to build upon his 5th place in the European Championships last year with another strong major championship performance.

As one and two in the UK rankings and Eilish McColgan and Laura Weightman join Jessica Judd in the team. With PBs at 1500m, 300om, 5000m and 10km Weightman is in fabulous form this year. Eilish McColgan’s 14:47.94 at the IAAF World Challenge saw her move to 3rd on the UK all time list and both will hope to push the likes of Obiri, Hassan and Klosterhalfen at the championships. Judd Judd is selected after winning the World University Games in July.

All three women who have run the steeplechase qualifying standard have been selected with Rosie Clarke the only athlete currently inside the world top 30. Elizabeth Bird and Aimee Pratt will both be competing at their first senior major championship. Zac Seddon was 5th in last year’s European Championships and also competed at the 2017 World Championships and will be hoping to make the final this year.

Tough decisions

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: “It gives me great pleasure to name the 72 athletes selected to compete for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, starting later this month. Given the standard of performances from British athletes this season, and the strength in depth we possess in several events, finalising the team was far from easy and there were some tough decisions to make.
“In the 72 athletes, I truly believe we have selected the strongest team possible to compete for medals on the global stage. The team is full of world-class athletes who over the past two years since we were hosts in London have proven that they belong on the global stage.

“It is great to see so many athletes return having competed in London and also see so many make the step up to the world level for the first time. We have selected more women than men once again for a major championships and special mention needs to go to Martyn Rooney, who is competing at his eighth World Championships, a truly remarkable feat for a great athlete.

“The Championships are going to be held in a challenging climate at the end of what has been a long season already but what pleases me the most is how our athletes and their coaches have approached the challenge and are ensuring that they peak when it matters most. The next three and a half weeks are key in preparing for the Championships and I look forward to watching our athletes flourish in Doha.”

The endurance athletes selected in the British team for the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019

MEN:

800m
Elliot Giles (Birchfield Harriers; Jon Bigg)
Kyle Langford (Shaftesbury Barnet; Jon Bigg)
Jamie Webb (Liverpool Harriers; Adrian Webb)

1500m
Neil Gourley (Giffnock North; Mark Rowland)
Josh Kerr (Edinburgh; Danny Mackey)
Jake Wightman (Edinburgh; Geoff Wightman)

5000m
Andrew Butchart (Central; self coached)
Ben Connor (Derby; Steve Vernon)
Marc Scott (Richmond & Zetland; Jerry Schumacher)

3000m Steeplechase
Zak Seddon (Bracknell; Jeff Seddon)

Marathon
Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan; Robert Hawkins)

20km Race Walk
Tom Bosworth (Tonbridge; Andi Drake)
Callum Wilkinson (Enfield & Haringey; Andi Drake)

50km Race Walk
Cameron Corbishley (Medway & Maidstone; Andi Drake)
Dominic King (Colchester Harriers; George Nibre)

WOMEN:

800m
Alexandra Bell (Pudsey & Bramley; Andrew Henderson)
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; Jon Bigg)
Lynsey Sharp (Edinburgh; David Harmer)

1500m
Sarah McDonald (Birchfield Harriers; David Harmer)
Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill; Andy Young)
Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan; Andy Young)

5000m
Jessica Judd (Blackburn; Mick Judd)
Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill; Liz Nuttall)
Laura Weightman (Morpeth; Steve Cram)

10,000m
Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill; Liz Nuttall)
Steph Twell (Aldershot Farnham & District; self coached)

3000m Steeplechase
Elizabeth Bird (Shaftesbury Barnet; George Harrison)
Rosie Clarke (Epsom & Ewell; David Harmer)
Aimee Pratt (Sale Harriers Manchester; Vicente Modahl)

Marathon
Tish Jones (Belgrave Harriers; Nick Anderson)
Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot Farnham & District; Nic Bideau)

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As well as the midnight marathon, the competition timetable for the World Championships in Doha 2019, published on Friday (May 4), includes a revamped schedule that removes all morning sessions and split evening sessions, which should help combat the high temperatures in the Qatar capital.

One-hour intervals will be incorporated into each session which organisers hope will “combine entertainment and family-centred activities with the excitement of the competitive action”.

The first-ever midnight marathon at a major championships will take place along Doha’s waterfront, with lights along the entire route and the city’s night skyline in the backdrop.

Before the 2019 championships, organisers will gain experience in hosting the world’s first night-time MotoGP race at Lusail International Circuit.

There will also be late starts for other events including the women’s 100m and men’s 400m hurdles at 11.20pm, and the final events in the heptathlon and decathlon at 12.05am 12.15am respectively.

“It is our ambition to organise an innovative, creative and exciting event that inspires and engages new fans, new athletes and new audiences and maximises the full potential of our region’s first-ever IAAF World Championships,” said Vice Chairman and Director General of the Local Organising Committee and IAAF Vice President Dahlan Al Hamad. “We are very excited to unveil, in partnership with the IAAF, the new competition schedule and night marathon format today.

“These will enable us to showcase the sport like never seen before, capturing the attention of young people in Qatar and around the world and connecting them to the contagious excitement of athletics.”

Meanwhile, IAAF President Seb Coe said: “It is exciting to see the way the World Championships are being developed and adapted to the host country and region mixing world-class competition with an ambitious entertainment and engagement plan that we hope will delight athletes, spectators and viewers around the world.

“We have some great World Championship firsts as well. The first 4x400m mixed relay will have its global debut ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the first midnight marathon, the evening sessions with semi-finals and finals only and dedicated slots in the timetable for the final stages of field events allowing full focus on the decisive and most thrilling moments and attempts.”

The competition schedule can be found here.

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