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Cue the Facebook Reels and TikTok challenges. There’s a new sports event in town and everyone is invited to join in from the comfort of their own gym – and compete against elite athletes.
Run X, the indoor World Treadmill Championship, is being sponsored by governing body World Athletics and treadmill manufacturer Technogym.
What can it mean to event owners? Quite a bit, as it turns out. The allure could be irresistible, says Runner’s World Magazine, since the event allows “everyday athletes to compete against the world’s top runners from their own gym.”
And, notes World Athletics, RUN X™ stems from the shared vision of Technogym and World Athletics to leverage the universal popularity of running and make it accessible indoors – in fitness and sport centers – with total safety, comfort and no time or weather constraints.
Since Technogym equipment is found in the home market, there is also the possibility that home gym users can participate, provided it is offered at a price point that would be convenient to this demographic.
The calendar for the first iteration of Run X already set. Starting in the first quarter of 2026, the World Athletics/Technogym partnership will invite fitness and wellness clubs to join a network where they can race against professional athletes through an online leaderboard, according to a press release.
In Q2, runners will be able to register for the competition that will be held in Q4 of 2026. RUN X™ will give members the chance to compete against professional athletes via an online leaderboard displaying real-time rankings from participants across the globe.
5K results will be certified through treadmills connected to the Technogym Digital Ecosystem. The top-ranked participants in each country, categorized by age group, will then advance to regional championships to qualify for the world final.
The final will take place “in an iconic location at the end of 2026,” (we’ll have to wait and see what that is. At that event, “the world’s top 10 male and 10 female runners will compete for the first-ever treadmill world title in an exciting and engaging format that takes running to a completely new level.”
Oh, and there’s money involved. Big money: A $100,000 prize pool. Additionally, World Athletics says it will grant wild cards for some of its World Athletics Series events, such as the World Road Running Championships.
The social media buzz is already building. This post on Instagram notes the event may have been spurred by similar events that harnessed technology:
“In November 2024, The Daily Mail was reported that World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon was considering the concept of a treadmill championships as a way to extend track and field’s reach by tapping into the virtual and indoor fitness market. At the time, World Athletics was nearing a partnership with a technology provider to set the groundwork for a global treadmill competition akin to successful models already seen in other endurance sports. Indoor rowing has held a World Championships since 2018. Cycling’s UCI Cycling Esports World Championships have been held on platforms like Zwift.”
And, the post stated, “It’s a clear attempt by World Athletics to see if treadmill competition could serve as a bridge between casual and elite runners.”
The concept of competitive indoor fitness has also been seen at events like the C.R.A.SH.-B Sprints, an indoor rowing event held at Brandeis University in Massachusetts. And it is also seen in many functional fitness competitions, as St. Cloud, Minnesota can attest.
Runner’s World says Run X will be unique, in that it will be “the first sanctioned treadmill world championship. There’s no official world record for the 5K distance on a treadmill, but several ultrarunning records were broken in the last few years. In January, Sophie Power set the 48-hour treadmill world record in support of SheRACES, clocking 370.9 kilometers (230.5 miles) in two days while fundraising for the organization that pushes for gender equality in running events. Earlier this year, Serbian-Slovak ultrarunner Michal Šuľa ran 526 miles on the treadmill, shattering the 7-day world record.”
AthleteTechNews says the event comes at a good time: “The unique format arrives as fitness competition events like Hyrox have surged in visibility and participation, while offering gyms a new way to drive engagement and revisit the role of cardio equipment at a moment when strength training has dominated floor space and attention.”
Of course, not everyone is sold on the concept.
“I just don’t see how this will be interesting to watch,” noted one social media user on the Instagram post. “The tactics required in head-to-head competition is what makes racing compelling and exciting.”
Another agreed: “Hard to imagine that being a spectator sport. Maybe if they have live techno music, a dance floor nearby, and serve drinks.”
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