The full ten-meeting schedule for the 2020 World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold level) has been finalised with the addition of Nairobi, which will be the first African host city.
The pilot year of the $US2 million Gold meeting series will now visit four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and North America – with the first meeting at Nairobi’s Moi International Stadium on 2 May, followed by Tokyo on May 10.
The series will finish in Zagreb in September.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.
“Between the Wanda Diamond League and the Continental Tour all disciplines will be catered for and many more athletes will have access to top class competition,’’ he said in a statement on Friday.
Fittingly, given the tradition of African distance runners, Nairobi will stage the 3000m steeplechase, 5000m and 10,000m for men and women as part of its programme.
This is expected to be the highest quality senior international meeting to be held in Kenya’s history.
The Continental Tour will be divided into three levels – Gold, Silver and Bronze – whose status will be determined by the quality of competition and prize money on offer.
World Athletics is investing in the Gold level meetings, which will each offer $200,000 in prize money, to increase the number of high quality competitive opportunities available to showcase sport’s best athletes.
JK/as/APA