On November 22, 2025, the Worldwide Affiliation of Ultrarunners (IAU) introduced the postponement of the 2025 IAU 50k World Championships, initially scheduled for December 7, in New Delhi, India. Though a brand new date hasn’t been set, the IAU has said that it’s going to announce one inside the subsequent week.
The ladies’s podium from the 2023 IAU 50k World Championships held in Hyderabad, India. Photograph courtesy of the Worldwide Affiliation of Ultrarunners.
In a press launch, the IAU mentioned that the choice was made after discussions with the Athletics Federation of India and the native organizing committee. The postponement, simply two weeks earlier than the occasion, is probably going the results of worsening air high quality within the metropolis. In latest days, India’s Supreme Courtroom, supported by the Fee for Air High quality Administration within the space, has additionally requested that each one faculties cancel outside actions for the following one to 2 months.
Poor air high quality within the space is widespread in November and December, with historic nice particulate air high quality numbers spiking to almost 300 components per million (ppm) yearly since 2015. Winter-time inversions result in the buildup of pollution across the New Delhi space, which has a inhabitants of over 30 million individuals. A number of components mix to extend the variety of pollution within the air, together with farmers burning their fields in preparation for the spring.
Within the days main as much as the announcement, the Air High quality Index in New Delhi was 370 ppm, which is effectively inside the vary thought-about extreme. The IAU mentioned, “Whereas we acknowledge the numerous effort and preparation invested by athletes, coaches, and federations, the well being and security of all contributors should stay our highest precedence.”
Nationwide groups will likely be allowed to vary their groups till December 21.
[Editor’s Note: We’ll update this article when a new date for the event is set.]
