Latest news with #RunGP
The Sun
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Is Mo Farah running the London Marathon 2025?
THE London Marathon will take place this Sunday as thousands of people are set to take on the 26.2 mile course. The race's popularity has hit new heights with 840,318 people applying via the public ballot to take part and over 56,000 expected to cross the start line. 2 2 This could break the world record for the most runners in a marathon, the previous record being 56,950 in this month's Paris edition. A stacked elite field will be fighting for the £41,000 London Marathon prize money, including the first man to break the two hour barrier, Eliud Kipchoge, and reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan. Last year's top UK finisher Emile Cairess has had to pull out due to injury and will miss out on the opportunity to break Mo Farah's British marathon record of 2:05:11. Is Mo Farah running the London Marathon 2025? Sir Mo Farah, 42, is NOT running the London Marathon this year. He ran his last marathon in the 2023 edition of the race, finishing in ninth, and retired later that year after a fourth-placed finish in the Great North Run. His time of 2:10:28 was a few minutes outside of his goal time and the former Olympic champion admitted after the race that his body could not do what it used to. Farah said at the time: "If it wasn't for the crowd, at some point I would have dropped out "That's what kept me going. It was amazing support. Part of me wanted to cry. "But the people were amazing, even in the rain, to line the streets. It's what has kept me going for so long throughout my career. "I will miss that feeling. I am emotional today. London has been so great to me over the years and I wanted to be here to say thank you to the crowd." Farah's best London Marathon finish was third in 2018 with a time of 2:06:21. Since retiring Farah has remained a big influence in the athletics world, last month launching team based-running league RunGP. Races will be held on Formula One tracks and include a mixture of celebrities and professional athletes. The first edition will be in Qatar in May and will include a kids race called One Mo Mile. When is the London Marathon taking place and how can I watch it? The London Marathon 2025 is taking place this Sunday from 8.50am BST. The London Marathon will be shown live on the BBC throughout the day. Alternatively, SunSport will live blog all the action from the Marathon as it happens.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RunGP considering commercial acquisition proposal to World Athletics in bid to shake up sport
The organisation behind the new running league RunGP is devising a bold plan to acquire the commercial operations of World Athletics in a bid to revamp the sport, The Independent has learnt. The Global Running League (GRL), which last week announced the launch of RunGP on Formula One circuits around the world, wants to take control of World Athletics' sponsorship and media deals in a model similar to that of F1, in which the FIA administrates the sport and the US company Liberty Media owns the commercial rights. Marcel Muenster, a healthcare entrepreneur and the chief executive of both GRL and RunGP, believes World Athletics needs fresh, innovative formats to breathe new life into the sport, particularly through mass-participation running events like marathons. RunGP is a team-based series designed to combine elite athletes and influencers in races around F1 tracks. It is backed by Sir Mo Farah, and its inaugural event, which will be streamed live by Dazn, will take place at the Lusail International Circuit, home to the Qatar Grand Prix, on 9-10 May. Muenster told The Independent the plans are about 'merging forces and not taking over World Athletics as a foundation … [we want to] take the commercial rights, create a spin-off and basically make this into a for-profit entity, while the governing body itself should remain independent'. World Athletics has been considering establishing a company to manage broadcast rights and is understood to be open to new partners. However, a spokesperson for the governing body told The Independent no conversations have taken place with RunGP over its plans. World Athletics makes profits in Olympic years thanks to direct payment from the International Olympic Committee, but those profits are outweighed by the losses in the intervening three years in each Olympic cycle, with losses of around £13m and £12m posted in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The World Athletics Championships take place every two years and are the sport's main draw outside the Olympic Games. The Diamond League, its annual series of global meets, is facing competition as Michael Johnson prepares to roll out the elite-only Grand Slam Track in Jamaica next month. A Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund, Surj Sports Investments, is separately considering investing in the sport, according to a recent report by Reuters. Muenster added: 'This is intended to change the sport. Sometimes you need to break something to change it. It comes from a good place. It's not a hostile takeover, it's just the sport has so much potential.'
The Independent
05-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
World Athletics facing commercial acquisition proposal by RunGP in bid to shake up sport
The organisation behind new running league RunGP is devising a bold plan to acquire the commercial operations of World Athletics in a bid to revamp the sport, The Independent has learned. The Global Running League (GRL), which last week announced the launch of RunGP on Formula One circuits around the world, wants to take control of World Athletics' sponsorship and media deals in a model similar to that of F1, where the FIA administrates the sport and US company Liberty Media owns the commercial rights. World Athletics has been considering establishing a company to manage broadcast rights and is understood to be open to new partners. Marcel Muenster, a healthcare entrepreneur and the CEO of both GRL and RunGP, believes World Athletics needs fresh innovative formats to breathe new life into the sport, particularly through mass participation running events like marathons. RunGP is a team-based series designed to combine elite athletes and influencers in races around F1 tracks. It is backed by Sir Mo Farah and the inaugural event, which will be streamed live by DAZN, will take place at the Lusail International Circuit, home to the Qatar Grand Prix, on 9-10 May. Muenster told The Independent the plans are about 'merging forces and not taking over World Athletics as a foundation … [we want to] take the commercial rights, create a spin-off and basically make this into a for-profit entity, while the governing body itself should remain independent.' World Athletics makes profits in Olympic years thanks to direct payment from the International Olympic Committee, but those profits are outweighed by the intervening three years in each Olympic cycle, with losses of around £13m and £12m posted in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The World Athletics Championships take place every two years and are the sport's main draw outside the Olympic Games. The Diamond League, its annual series of global meets, meanwhile faces competition as Michael Johnson prepares to roll out the elite-only Grand Slam Track in Jamaica next month. A Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund, SURJ Sports Investments, is separately considering investing in the sport, according to a recent report by Reuters. Muenster did not disclose the potential finances involved in any deal with RunGP but believes World Athletics is receptive to a proposal. 'This is intended to change the sport,' he added. 'Sometimes you need to break something to change it. It comes from a good place. It's not a hostile takeover, it's just the sport has so much potential.'
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund weighs investing in World Athletics, sources say
A Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund is considering investing in a new body that World Athletics may potentially set up to manage the sport's commercial rights, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The sport's governing body has been considering establishing a new company to manage rights and bring in cash from a new investor, the people said. It has held talks with SURJ Sports Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), about potentially buying a stake in the entity, the people said. One of the people said a deal could value the business at 500 million pounds ($635.95 million). The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that discussions are ongoing but may not lead to a transaction. A spokesperson for World Athletics confirmed in a statement it has had approaches and discussions with organisations and financial institutions interested in partnering, but declined to comment on SURJ's interest. "We are delighted to be in this position even if not all discussions end in a partnership. Where partnerships are agreed, we announce them," the spokesperson said. SURJ declined to comment. Athletics is the latest sport to draw the interest of Saudi Arabia-backed entities, after investments in tennis, golf and soccer. SURJ last month said it had bought a minority stake in sports streaming platform DAZN. It also considered investing in a new cycling league as well as a new boxing league last year, Reuters has reported, but deals have yet to materialise. Funds raised through a deal would help World Athletics accelerate the commercial side of the sport, including setting up new events, marketing and distributing more cash to stakeholders, the people said. World Athletics is under pressure to innovate as outsiders look for a piece of the pie. Former Olympic 400 and 200m champion Michael Johnson is planning a new professional track competition, Grand Slam Track, to host four "slams" a year from this April. Britain's multi-Olympic gold medalist distance runner Mo Farah has put his name behind another new series of races called RunGP, with events held on Formula One race circuits, starting in Doha in May. World Athletics' President Sebastian Coe has regularly said his sport needs to work hard to "stay relevant" for the next generation of fans. He set out plans last year to hold a new competition called the World Athletics Ultimate Championship every two years, beginning in 2026 with a record prize pot of $10 million, to add to the competition calendar. The sport was also the first to offer prize money at the Olympics, with Paris 2024 gold medalists banking $50,000. ($1 = 0.7862 pounds) (Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley and Mitch Phillips in London. Additional reporting from Pesha Magid in Riyadh. Editing by Anousha Sakoui and Jan Harvey)
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund weighs investing in World Athletics, sources say
LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - A Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund is considering investing in a new body that World Athletics may potentially set up to manage the sport's commercial rights, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The sport's governing body has been considering establishing a new company to manage rights and bring in cash from a new investor, the people said. It has held talks with SURJ Sports Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), about potentially buying a stake in the entity, the people said. One of the people said a deal could value the business at 500 million pounds ($635.95 million). The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that discussions are ongoing but may not lead to a transaction. A spokesperson for World Athletics confirmed in a statement it has had approaches and discussions with organisations and financial institutions interested in partnering, but declined to comment on SURJ's interest. "We are delighted to be in this position even if not all discussions end in a partnership. Where partnerships are agreed, we announce them," the spokesperson said. SURJ declined to comment. Athletics is the latest sport to draw the interest of Saudi Arabia-backed entities, after investments in tennis, golf and soccer. SURJ last month said it had bought a minority stake in sports streaming platform DAZN. It also considered investing in a new cycling league as well as a new boxing league last year, Reuters has reported, but deals have yet to materialise. Funds raised through a deal would help World Athletics accelerate the commercial side of the sport, including setting up new events, marketing and distributing more cash to stakeholders, the people said. World Athletics is under pressure to innovate as outsiders look for a piece of the pie. Former Olympic 400 and 200m champion Michael Johnson is planning a new professional track competition, Grand Slam Track, to host four "slams" a year from this April. Britain's multi-Olympic gold medalist distance runner Mo Farah has put his name behind another new series of races called RunGP, with events held on Formula One race circuits, starting in Doha in May. World Athletics' President Sebastian Coe has regularly said his sport needs to work hard to "stay relevant" for the next generation of fans. He set out plans last year to hold a new competition called the World Athletics Ultimate Championship every two years, beginning in 2026 with a record prize pot of $10 million, to add to the competition calendar. The sport was also the first to offer prize money at the Olympics, with Paris 2024 gold medalists banking $50,000.
