World Athletics President Sebastian Coe ran the first metres on the track at the new National Athletics Centre of Hungary, which will be the venue for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 in just over a year.
Coe, who is in Budapest for the FINA World Championships, met with key members of the local organising committee for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, including CEO P&eacute;ter Deutsch and Hungarian Athletics Association President Mikl&oacute;s Gyulai. During his time in the Hungarian capital, Coe was shown around the National Athletics Centre by 2017 world 110m hurdles bronze medallist Bal&aacute;zs Baji.
Coe also joined 10 participants from the Hungarian Kids&rsquo; Athletics Programme and ran with them on the field of play in the new stadium, which is still under construction. The Hungarian Kids&rsquo; Athletics Programme aims to inspire more and more children to choose athletics as their first sport, given it is the foundation of all sports. As a result of the programme, the number of young athletes aged six to 12 has already increased by 30% in Hungary in 2021. The programme is part of World Athletics&rsquo; Kids&rsquo; Athletics initiative.
&ldquo;I am impressed with the organisation,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;Of course there is still a lot to do, but everything is going to plan. I saw a very focused team and I&rsquo;m sure we&rsquo;ll see a fantastic World Championships here in Budapest in 2023. Even with the ongoing construction, the stadium already looks impressive. It was great to meet some of the budding young talent from the Hungarian Kids&rsquo; Athletics Programme, and it was a pleasure to join them in their debut at the stadium. I hope they all get an opportunity to compete here in the years to come.&rdquo;
Deutsch added: &ldquo;Just over a year from now, in August 2023, the World Athletics Championships &ndash; the biggest sporting event in Hungary's history &ndash; will begin. Our goal with the World Championships is to strengthen and promote the Hungarian athletics and to get as many children as possible to choose this fantastic sport.&rdquo;

World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023

World Athletics President visits the venue for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23

Coe runs first few steps at Budapest’s new National Athletics Centre

The competition will start on August 19, 2023, in exactly 500 days, at the largest sports event in the history of Hungary. The World Athletics Championships is the third largest sporting event in the world after the Summer Olympic Games and the Football World Cup, followed by more than a billion viewers on television, print and online media.
"It is with great pride that Hungary and Hungarian athletics will host this wonderful event. It is a fantastic opportunity for Hungarian athletes to compete in front of Hungarian fans and a fantastic opportunity for Hungarian fans to personally experience the excitement of a World Athletics Championships, support Hungarians and see also the international stars,&rdquo; said Mikl&oacute;s Gyulai, the president of the Hungarian Athletics Association and co-chairman of the local organizing committee of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. "Budapest will take over the baton from Oregon this summer, so we are also looking forward to the first World Athletics Championships in the United States, which will start in exactly 100 days and will help the organizers of the World Championships Budapest 23 and Hungarian athletes with many learnings and inspirations" - he added.
Athletes from more than 200 countries will take part in the nine-day competition, which will take place at the brand-new National Athletics Centre on the banks of the Danube in Budapest. Two events, the marathon, and the race walk will be held in the heart of Budapest, so athletes, fans and TV viewers will have a wonderful view of the historical parts of the city, with the Danube in the background.
"For us, the world championships is not just about these nine wonderful days, which is what the competition itself means. The development of Hungarian athletics is at least as important to us, and in this sense the world championships has already started. Thirty percent more children started athletics in 2021 than a year earlier. New facilities have been built and the knowledge of organizing competitions is constantly evolving, partly due to the 11-year-old Gyulai Istv&aacute;n Memorial - Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix and partly because in addition to the World Athletics Championships, Hungary has already hosted all major world athletics competitions. " - said P&eacute;ter Deutsch, CEO of Budapest 2023 Nzrt., which organizes the world championships.
According to all statistics, athletics was the most successful sport at the Tokyo Olympics and athletics has continued that momentum ever since. Three world records were broken or set in March in Belgrade at the World Indoor Championships, and due to changes caused by the coronavirus epidemic, there will also be an outdoor world championships in the U.S. state of Oregon this year. Thus, after Doha in 2019 and Oregon in 2022, Budapest will take over the baton and one of the most important sporting events in the world will return to Europe in 2023.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re in a very exciting five-year period for our sport with a world championships or Olympic Games every year to showcase athletics around the globe. The world championships in Budapest will be the centrepiece of our 2023 competition schedule. This event will leave an important legacy for Hungary and for athletics with the construction of a wonderful new national athletics stadium and the wider development of the sport in Hungary, which I&rsquo;m sure will continue to inspire future generations.&rdquo;
Ticket sales for the 23rd World Athletics Championships in Budapest will begin in the summer of 2022 and official information is available at <a title="wabudapest23.com" href="http://wabudapest23.com">wabudapest23.com</a>.

The competition will start on August 19, 2023, in exactly 500 days, at the largest sports event in the history of Hungary. The World Athletics Championships is the third largest sporting event in the world after the Summer Olympic Games and the Football World Cup, followed by more than a billion viewers on television, print and online media.

The World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 will start in 500 days

We interviewed Paralympic champion Luca Ekler, who spoke about her experiences in Tokyo, her career and volunteering. 
For you, athletics has always been more than just a sport, you have found yourself again in the world of para-athletics. Please tell us a little about how athletics has helped you to accept yourself and your new situation?
It took me a year to recover after I had a stroke when I was 10, but when I was able to start doing sport again, I couldn't continue playing tennis, so I started looking for a sport where I could find the passion that I had in tennis. I tried several sports, but in none of them I felt that I could fully fit in with my disability. I went with my father to an athletics training session and it was that session that changed me, where I found a sport where I felt free again. To this day when I run or jump I feel like I'm flying. No one can take away from me the freedom I felt then. With my disability, I felt free to do sport again and I really enjoyed it. For a long time I competed with able-bodied athletes, I didn't know there was para-athletics. Although I started athletics in 2012, it wasn't until around 2017 that para-athletics came knocking on my door. However, it was a real breakthrough, because I often felt that I was different, that I was competing with a disadvantage, and that people often didn't even know about my disability, because it wasn't obvious. Thanks to a coincidence I found para-athletics and in 2018 I qualified for my first world competition. It was then, at my first World Cup, that I felt I had come home and found my place. I met athletes with similar injuries to me, I saw how they do sport to the full, with joy and enthusiasm. It helped me a lot.
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/624c5ef391060b888e6f88f0.png" alt="Ekler Luca" width="800" height="533" />
Luca Ekler celebrates winning the gold medal after competing in the Women's Long Jump - T38 final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images
At last year's Tokyo Paralympics, you won a gold medal in the long jump with a world record. How did it feel to come home from the Paralympics with gold? 
For me, the Paralympics was the culmination of an incredible journey. I had a great time all the way through, it was exhilarating to stand on the top step of the podium. Coming home with a world record and gold made me very proud of myself and all my family and friends. It feels good to have everyone's pride and to have them cheering for me, without them I would definitely not have made it this far. Coming home was the fulfillment I felt in finding something I could do with love and passion and in finding myself and my purpose for my days again. For me, that was the greatest happiness.
Since then, your life has been turned upside down, you have received numerous requests and media invitations. How do you manage the sudden popularity?
After the Paralympics, I received many more inquiries, but I couldn't meet all of them even though I didn't train for two months after the Paralympics. I'm very happy that there is such attention for para-sport, it's a positive thing, we have to manage it and use it for good things. It is important that as many people as possible are aware of para-sport and para-athletics. After an Olympic Games, many people with disabilities start playing sport, it's a great motivation for them and for able-bodied people.
What does volunteering mean to you? How do you think volunteering can help a young person's life?
I think volunteering comes from the heart. When you volunteer you don't ask questions, you just go and try to find the place where you are most needed. You do what you do because that's why you're there. For me, it's about unconditional help and putting your own resources into the cause. As well as being able to get close to a lot of people through volunteering and helping them, it's also a kind of spiritual cleansing for me. I always leave with a lighter heart and with connections that can be uplifting.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/624c0a909a1433abc1756227.jpg" alt="Ekler Luca &ouml;nk&eacute;ntesp&oacute;l&oacute;ban" width="800" height="" />
&nbsp;
Volunteering can bring many qualities to a young person's life that they may not have the opportunity to experience elsewhere. The selflessness, helpfulness and love that surrounds volunteering is very hard to find elsewhere. Later on in life, the experiences, memories and lessons learnt during volunteering can be very useful, and even the motivation and inspiration drawn from the lives of others can help to push through the problems that arise.
Have you ever volunteered?
Yes, several times. I first came across volunteering in my scout troop and later on I have been volunteering in many places. As sport is my life, I was a volunteer coordinator for the 2018 World Wrestling Championships, and also volunteered at the Winners' Association, where I helped out with my fellow students on a sports day for children recovering from cancer. After returning from the Paralympics, I also had another important task as a volunteer ambassador for the International Eucharistic Congress, for which the work started before the Olympics. I was trying to spread the news of the congress to as many people as possible. For me, this was a very important task, as I live my daily life as a believer, and faith has often given me the strength to overcome difficult situations. My witness during the Budapest Congress was a very important moment for me and one of the highlights of the event.
As one of the most successful Hungarian athletes, what is your message to the volunteers of the World Championships? 
Yes, I'm really looking forward to next year's World Athletics Championships and I'm very happy to be able to speak to the volunteers. It's an incredible thing for me and I'm happy to be able to advocate for it, as it's what I love the most and I have the future of athletics at heart. Through the 2023 competition, I hope to bring not only athletics but para-athletics to more people. I hope we will have many enthusiastic volunteers.
And what is your message to young athletes who are just finding athletics and to the youngsters who are already in the sport? 
For those young athletes who are still looking for their place, I would advise them to try as many sports as possible, and within athletics as many disciplines as possible. Even if athletics might not be the sport they choose, it will be a very good foundation for other sports later on, because they will be exposed to versatile training and a form of movement that might not be found in other sports. Those who are already involved in athletics should always set themselves a goal to improve. This could be to improve their individual record or individual score, either in training or in competition. We need to have goals and motivations in front of us to help us push through the tough days. Love what you do because that's the most important thing. If you have that, that's the biggest motivation.

We interviewed the Paralympic champion Luca Ekler. Asked her about her experiences in Tokyo, her career and volunteering.

"Love what you do: that is the most important thing"

<h2>Come to volunteer for the World Athletics Championships!</h2>
Budapest will host the World Athletics Championships between 19-27 August, 2023, Hungary expects to host hundreds of athletes, media, staff and spectators from all over the world. The event cannot take place without the helpful hands of thousands of volunteers. 
Come and be part of the 2023 World Athletics Championships volunteer team! Meet the greatest track athletes in the world, make new friends and gain unforgettable memories. 
You can test your abilities with different tasks in many areas: improve your communication skills with media services, practice your language skills with foreign guests, peek into the mysteries of event operation or even watch the world&rsquo;s best athletes from right next to the track. If you are enthusiastic, like challenges and are energetic, apply to be a volunteer for the event!
No need for previous volunteer experience, we will make you the best of the best by the end of the event. Apply individually or with your group. Share the news with your teammates and clubs, family and friends. Anyone can be a volunteer!
In addition to unforgettable experiences for volunteers, we also provide uniforms and a meal per day, help you with accommodation and local transport, and provide you with certification and acknowledgement.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Apply to volunteer and become a member of our team!</h2>
Voluntary registrations are always welcome.
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION IS S O O N TO OPEN!
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Remember: anyone can volunteer!</h1>
WCH Budapest 23 volunteer programme team

Come and be part of the 2023 World Athletics Championships volunteer team! Meet the greatest track athletes of the world, make new friends and get unforgettable memories.

Volunteer recruitment starts soon

Why is it good to volunteer, especially at a World Athletics Championships?
Because it combines sport, experience and life-long memories! 
A world-class event such as the World Athletics Championships, which Budapest will host in 2023, offers many opportunities for volunteers.
You can be part of the miracle of the organisational process! You can develop, learn and experience. You can belong to a great community. Meet new people, make new friendships and get unforgettable experiences with us.
We will lift you to unknown dimensions and encourage you to step out of your comfort zone. New tasks and challenges await. Maybe you are attracted to the field of media, or you would like to learn more about organising events,. You can test your hidden reserves in any field during the World Championships. We guarantee that you will find what you are best at and leave with a lot of new knowledge and experience.
&ldquo;It may seem daunting at first with so many new things and tasks, but thanks to the great team, I got the run of it very quickly and enjoyed every moment of volunteering,&rdquo; said Lili (17), who was a volunteer at the Istv&aacute;n Gyulai Memorial Athletics Competition. &ldquo;By the end of the day, I was thinking about studying in the field of media.&rdquo; 
The fruits of your work are immediately visible.
&ldquo;I helped a Polish athlete for a whole day, because he lost his luggage at the airport and all his equipment was in it,&rdquo; said G&aacute;bor (20). &ldquo;I helped him get everything so he could compete the next day. At the end of the day, he was so grateful for the help, and it was an incredible feeling for me to help an athlete. We talked a lot, he also gave me advice on my own athletics career.&rdquo; 
The reward is not to be missed, as you will make many new friendships, meet the best athletes in the world, have a chance to peek behind the scenes of the sport and finish every day with memories what will last a lifetime.
Join us as a volunteer, be a part of the World Championships and collect lifelong experiences!

A world-class event such as the World Athletics Championships, which Budapest will host in 2023, offers many opportunities for volunteers.

Volunteering is great!

It&rsquo;s impossible to get bored in the city in the summer. Whether it&rsquo;s sightseeing, sports, parties or dinner you are after, Budapest offers the best in the hottest months.
If it&rsquo;s summer, it&rsquo;s water, and what could be better on a warm summer day than drinking a lemonade or glass ofros&eacute;at one of the riverside bars. We can watch the sunset and even dip our feet into the Danube.
<h2>Take the plunge</h2>
Budapest&rsquo;s historical thermal spas encapsulate centuries of bathing culture and provide a comforting experience at the same time. Soak away your worries at Luk&aacute;cs, Rudas or Sz&eacute;chenyi bath and enjoy the natural thermal waters that make this city the spa capital of Europe. If you want to try wave pools or just sunbathe on a lido, try any outdoor beach with late opening hours. 
<h2>Ride the Chairlift</h2>
When summer in the city becomes overwhelming, you can escape the crowds with an easy day trip to the Buda Hills, where the Zugliget Chairlift will take you up the side of&nbsp;J&aacute;nos Hill in about 15 minutes. Lush greenery and peaceful residential houses accompany you along the ride, which is a truly special experience. From the top you can reach the highest point of Budapest, the Erzs&eacute;bet Lookout Tower, but make sure you bring your comfy shoes with you for the walk. 
<h2>Sunset from Citadella</h2>
The star of Instagram is a popular vantage point for Budapesters, and in addition to tourists, many locals take their wedding and romantic photos here. The Citadel is most beautiful when we bask in the slowly setting, orange-glowing summer sunset and admire the city.
<h2>Cocktail on a rooftop</h2>
Offering breathtaking views of Budapest landmarks, rooftop hangouts across the city come to life in summer. Some are located atop luxury hotels, others above historic buildings at prestigious locations where we can sip our drink in a unique environment.
<h2>Picnic in the City Park</h2>
The oasis of the capital has been attracting nature lovers for generations. It is the perfect location for a leisurely picnic or a walk while crunching the local pretzels. If you want to spend the time more actively, hop on a boat on the lake in the city park and admire Vajdahunyad Castle or wave to the ducks.
<h2>Musical show on Margaret Island</h2>
The Margaret Island park's fountain plays a coordinated musical show every hour from 11:00am, but the best time to visit is for the final much longer show at 9:00pm. You&rsquo;ll be treated to a choreographed fountain, light, and music show set to popular songs from a variety of genres. It is a unique experience and completely free.

It’s impossible to get bored in the city in the summer. Whether it’s sightseeing, sports, parties or dinner you are after, Budapest offers the best in the hottest months.

Summer in Budapest

Grandeur, 19th century elegant architecture, sticky apricot jam, historical Turkish baths and romance &ndash; Budapest just has it all. One of Europe&rsquo;s most photogenic capitals has become such a top tourist destination that in 2019 it won the prestigious title of "European Best Destination". This is no coincidence, because this city offers its visitors a multitude of marvelous sites: it is enough to go out into the street and a magnificent view is offered to us, on the side of Pest or Buda, no matter where we are.
Visiting Budapest requires good preparation so to help you, here is our selection of the must-see tourist sites that will absolutely steal your heart.
<h2>Castle District</h2>
The Castle District of Budapest is full of important sites. The Fishermen's Bastion (Hal&aacute;szb&aacute;stya), the Church of Matthias (M&aacute;ty&aacute;s-templom) and the Buda Castle are the most obvious examples, but even if you get lost in this neighbourhood rich in story, you will make interesting personal discoveries in every corner while strolling on the cobbled courtyards. 
A walk through the castle is an instant history lesson and anyone who wants to feel like they are in a Disney tale should head to the Fisherman&rsquo;s Bastion. 
<h2>Parliament Building</h2>
There are no lists of spectacular Parliament buildings that do not feature the Hungarian one. With 691 rooms, 19km of corridors and stairs, a 97m high dome and stunning gargoyles, the Danube-side icon dominates the Pest side of the river. Whether you take a guided tour or see it from a boat, the Parliament is always worth a visit. 
<h2>St. Stephen's Basilica</h2>
Budapest's highest and most photographed attraction awaits visitors not only with fantastic frescoes, but also with the mummified right hand of King St. Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian state. The panorama from the dome is not to be missed and it is also worth listening to an organ concert.
<h2>Thermal spas</h2>
Want to experience a Finnish sauna, an effervescent swimming pool or a massage in historical surroundings? Head to one of the thermal baths of Budapest, where you can enjoy various services both indoors and outdoors.&nbsp; It&rsquo;s worth going early to beat the crowds.
<h2>Ruin bars &ndash; Szimpla Kert</h2>
The famous ruined pubs of the Hungarian capital originally opened their doors in the abandoned buildings of the Jewish Quarter. Nowadays they attract a large number of young people who enjoy drinking either in a split Trabant or in grandma's old chair. If you want a special atmosphere, immerse yourself in Szimpla Kert, or one of the restaurants of the famous Gozsdu Court. You will not be disappointed.
<h2>Heroes' Square</h2>
At the end of Andr&aacute;ssy &uacute;t is the largest square in Budapest, where all&nbsp; of Hungarian history can be found. Statues of kings, heroes and legends stand proudly in the square, which exudes a special atmosphere day and night. From here, hikers can go on a picnic in the City Park, and culture fans will find two fantastic museums (the Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery) on both sides of the square.
<h2>Margaret Island</h2>
The green heart of the city lies in the middle of the Danube between the Margaret Bridge and the &Aacute;rp&aacute;d Bridge. Everything on the island is all about relaxation, from the popular Palatinus Beach and the Alfred Haj&oacute;s Swimming Pool, to the Japanese Garden and the musical fountain. Featuring a rubberised jogging track nearly 5km long, pedalo rental and cycle paths, not to mention any number of picnic places and outdoor bars, Margaret Island has something for everyone.

Grandeur, 19th century elegant architecture, sticky apricot jam, historical Turkish baths and romance – Budapest just has it all.

Budapest’s most important landmarks

Although the exercises of the medieval ruling class were already very similar to the sport in the modern sense, we cannot speak of organised athletics in Hungary until the middle of the 19th century. The Hungarian who introduced the sport was Count Miksa Esterh&aacute;zy, who published long series of articles to promote athletics. In November 1874, the count presented the statutes of the association to be established at the National Riding School, and the Hungarian Athletics Club (MAC), the first athletic association on the continent, was formed a few months later. On 6 May 1875, MAC organised the first public athletics competition of the European continent in Budapest.
The inaugural general assembly of the Hungarian Athletics Association (MASZ) took place on 21 March 21 1897, but Hungarian athletes had already taken part in the first modern Olympics in 1896, with great success. International successes came continuously, Hungarian athletics reached its first peak between the two world wars. The second can be traced back to the 1950s, and technical advances allowed for an ever-higher standard of preparation and racing in the country. The Hungarian middle and long-distance runners became world famous, and our throwing athletes were also at the forefront.
The sport, which has played a decisive role in domestic and international sports since the first modern Olympics, contributed to the success of Hungarian sports with 10 Olympic champions, world championships podium finishers, an indoor world champion, more than 20 European champions, world and European record-holders and winners of major competitions.
Budapest, Hungary, has successfully hosted several major athletics competitions. In addition to senior competitions, it also played a prominent role in organising U18 competitions.
The list of athletics events organised in Hungary is quite illustrative:
<ul>
<li>1966, Budapest: European Championships</li>
<li>1983, Budapest: European Indoor Championships</li>
<li>1988, Budapest: European Indoor Championships</li>
<li>1989, Budapest: World Indoor Championships</li>
<li>1994, Budapest: World Athletics Cross Country Championships</li>
<li>1995, Ny&iacute;regyh&aacute;za: European U18 Championships</li>
<li>1998, Budapest: European Championships</li>
<li>2001, Debrecen: World U18 Championships</li>
<li>2003, 2004,2005, Szombathely: World Athletics Final - Hammer Throw</li>
<li>2004, Budapest: World Indoor Championships</li>
<li>2006, Debrecen: World Road Running Championships</li>
<li>2007, Debrecen: European U23 Championships</li>
<li>2010, Ny&iacute;regyh&aacute;za: European Veteran Championships</li>
<li>2012, Budapest - Szentendre: European Cross Country Championships</li>
<li>2014, Budapest: World Masters Indoor Championships</li>
<li>2018, Győr: European U18 Championships</li>
</ul>
In addition:
<ul>
<li>Budapest Grand Prix</li>
<li>Budapest Mobil Grand Prix</li>
<li>Istv&aacute;n Gyulai Memorial - Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix</li>
</ul>

Although the exercises of the medieval ruling class were already very similar to the sport in the modern sense, we cannot speak of organized athletics in Hungary until the middle of the 19th century.

Budapest and athletics

The brand new National Athletics Centre will host the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23. The centre is built on the eastern bank of the Danube River on the south side of the city. Currently a brown field, the site and the whole area will be regenerated and will become a public park with lots of green spaces, open to everyone.
The arena will have an initial capacity of 34,000 for the 2023 championships before being reduced to 15,000. Once the temporary upper tier is removed, the stadium would be left with a circular plateau, which can be filled with publicly available leisure areas.
Following the event, the stadium would be the main competition venue and training hub for Hungarian athletics. Thus, the facility will give a major boost not only to competitive sports, but also to recreational and youth sports. Budapest residents and students will find training tracks, running tracks, street workouts and many other opportunities for sports and recreation.
The stadium will also be directly accessible by public transport including trams, buses, local railway and boats on the river Danube. The VIP transportation, meanwhile, will make use of electric cars, but all will be encouraged to consider walking to the stadium on the beautiful riverbank without any transportation required.
Budapest, like all host cities of future World Athletics Series events, will also join World Athletics&rsquo; Air Quality project. As the organisers have said: It&rsquo;s important &ndash; for us and for World Athletics &ndash; that the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 is not just a competition. Residents of Budapest will feel the tangible legacy of the event.

The brand new National Athletics Centre will be the host the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. The centre is built on the eastern bank of the Danube river on the south side of the city. Currently a brown field, the site and the whole area will be regenerated and will become a public park with lots of green spaces, open to everyone.

National Athletics Centre

Following a visit this week from World Athletics to discuss and review the planning for the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 (19-27 August 2023) the 35-strong delegation said it has been impressed with the passion and vision of the organising committee and its stakeholders.
The visit included a tour of the new athletics stadium, which World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon described as a fantastic facility for both the World Athletics Championships and as a legacy athletics venue.
The stadium is due to be completed in March 2023 and will hold three events, including the Gyulai Istv&aacute;n Memorial Athletics Hungarian Grand Prix, which will act as test events ahead of the 2023 World Championships.
Ridgeon added that he was impressed with the vision to use the World Athletics Championships to inspire a whole generation of young people to participate and follow athletics. &ldquo;We believe that athletics is the most accessible and barrier-free sport, making it easy for everyone to participate in it.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61f3d98daf5f33dfb80e540b.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 The delegation also held plenary sessions and one-to-one meetings with the team to discuss the vision for the championships and the detailed timelines across the many delivery departments. The World Athletics team was also taken on a tour of the route for the marathon and race walks, which will take place along the Danube River and showcase iconic Budapest landmarks including the Hungarian State Opera House and Heroes Square.
Commenting on the road events plans, Ridgeon said: &ldquo;The marathon and race walks will take place along Andr&aacute;ssy Street, showing off the beautiful city of Budapest and providing some spectacular images of the city to athletics fans around the world. There is also plenty of room for Hungarian fans to cheer on the athletes as the plans include a looped course.&rdquo;
He finished the visit by saying: &ldquo;Hosting a World Athletics Championship is an intricate web of thousands of large and small details and decisions. We leave this site visit thanking the Budapest 23 team and confident that the team understands the scale of the event and has an impressive vision for both the championships and beyond. Budapest will be an exciting place to be in August 2023 and we are looking forward to a great championships.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61f3d971af5f33dfb80e5408.jpeg" alt="" width="100%" />Hungary's 2017 world 110m hurdles bronze medallist Balazs Baji, now part of the Budapest 23 LOC, with World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon
 &ldquo;World Athletics and the Hungarian LOC together, as a unified team, are preparing for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest,&rdquo; said local organising committee CEO Peter Deutsch. He added that beyond the perfect and successful organisation of the event, their common goal is to develop Hungarian athletics: &ldquo;For us, this huge endeavour is not just about the 10 days of the World Championships. Certainly, the success of the World Championships is important, but so too are the sports development programmes that have been launched in connection with the World Championships and whose first results are already visible. For example, 30% more kids have chosen athletics as their sport of choice and our competitors have achieved outstanding successes at different international youth championships in 2021.
"Combined with the training and competition opportunities provided by the new National Athletics Centre, this means a significant development of Hungarian athletics, which can be reflected in the results of the elite competitors, the number of youth athletes and our regional role as competition organisers.&rdquo;
LOC for World Athletics

The stadium is due to be completed in March 2023

World Athletics impressed with Budapest’s vision following site visit

Major athletics events are one of the most powerful tools in delivering World Athletics&rsquo; Sustainability Strategy.
The strategy, <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/news/press-release/sustainability-strategy-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published earlier this month</a>, addresses global issues that pose a threat to the quality of our lives, using the power of sport and athletics to create a better world for communities.
While sporting events are short-term and finite, they present a springboard to drive awareness and inspire behavioural change. Event attendees, local communities and the event supply chain can be inspired and educated during an event to create a lasting legacy, leaving a positive impact long after the event has finished.
To mark Earth Day, we take a closer look at the efforts that future World Athletics Series host Budapest is making to put sustainability at the heart of its preparations for the 2023 World Championships.
Hungary &ndash; and Budapest especially &ndash; is a constantly growing supporter of sustainable events and renewable energy. It will be no different in 2023, the year in which the Hungarian capital hosts the World Athletics Championships. 
<div id="5ea00cb20d00ae10ecf9c986" class="dropMedia">
<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/c4842150-71ac-48d7-b11f-c749cc3da3ac.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
A rendering of Budapest's National Athletics Centre in legacy mode</div>
&nbsp;
The event does not require any permanent construction as all facilities have been planned and approved independent of the bid. There will be temporary seating in the stadium, giving it a capacity of 40,000 during the World Championships and 15,000 after. Once the temporary upper tier is removed, the stadium would be left with a circular plateau, which can be filled with publicly available leisure areas.
The site of the stadium, on the river bank on the southern border of Budapest, is currently a disused waste ground, but the whole area will be regenerated and will become a public park with 15 acres of green spaces, open to everyone. 
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 The construction of the stadium and regeneration of the area was approved by the Hungarian government independent of Budapest&rsquo;s 2023 World Championships bid, but it will be completed in time for the global event, meaning everyone attending the championships &ndash; and, indeed, all visitors to the city thereafter &ndash; can enjoy the area.
&ldquo;This area, the South-Pest Sports and Leisure Park, will not only be used by elite athletes, it will be used by families, schools, employees of the area and a lot of Budapest,&rdquo; says Marton Gyulai, CEO of the Budapest 2023 Bid.
&ldquo;For months, we have been working with architects to develop the idea of ​​having as many multifunctional and event spaces in the stadium as possible, which can be utilised in a variety of ways after the event.
&ldquo;At the same time, the stadium and park would be not only an event venue but also a community space. The area, both inside and outside the stadium, will be used by locals who want to run in the good air, jog or just walk on the banks of the Danube.&rdquo; 
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<div style="background-image: url('https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Small/8126e055-1e8b-439c-a547-1ac3d22f7bfb.jpg');">&nbsp;</div>
A rendering of Budapest's National Athletics Centre</div>
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The stadium will also be directly accessible by public transport including trams, buses, local railway and boats on the river Danube. The VIP transportation, meanwhile, will make use of electric cars, but all will be encouraged to consider walking to the stadium on the beautiful river bank without any transportation required.
Budapest, like all host cities of future World Athletics Series events, will also join World Athletics&rsquo; Air Quality project.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s important &ndash; for us and for World Athletics &ndash; that the World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 is not just a competition,&rdquo; says Gyulai. &ldquo;Residents of Budapest will feel the tangible legacy of the event.&rdquo;

Major athletics events are one of the most powerful tools in delivering World Athletics’ Sustainability Strategy.

Sustainability at heart of Budapest’s plans for 2023 World Athletics Championships

World Athletics Championships, Oregon 2022

World Athletics Championships

<h1 style="text-align: center;">Welcome to the website of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23!</h1>
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From 19-27 August 2023, Budapest will host the world's third largest sporting event, the World Athletics Championships. It is the largest sporting event in the history of Hungary, attended by athletes from more than 200 countries, whose news will reach more than one billion people.
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Athletics is the foundation of all sports. It represents strength, speed, dexterity and endurance, the spirit of competition and camaraderie. We do not even notice how much we are surrounded by athletics; it is included in everything.
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<a href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-championships/budapest23/event-info">Read more</a>

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