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 acknowledged that it’ll announce one inside the subsequent week.
The ladies’s podium from the 2023 IAU 50k World Championships held in Hyderabad, India. Picture courtesy of the Worldwide Affiliation of Ultrarunners.
In a press launch, the IAU stated 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 Court docket, supported by the Fee for Air High quality Administration within the space, has additionally requested that every one faculties cancel outside actions for the following one to 2 months.
Poor air high quality within the space is frequent in November and December, with historic positive particulate air high quality numbers spiking to almost 300 elements 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 elements 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 nicely inside the vary thought-about extreme. The IAU stated, “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 might be allowed to alter their groups till December 21.
[Editor’s Note: We’ll update this article when a new date for the event is set.]
