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The organisation behind the new running league RunGP is devising a bold plan to acquire the commercial operations of World Athletics in a bid to revamp the sport, The Independent has learnt.
The Global Running League (GRL), which last week announced the launch of RunGP on Formula One circuits around the world, wants to take control of World Athletics’ sponsorship and media deals in a model similar to that of F1, in which the FIA administrates the sport and the US company Liberty Media owns the commercial rights.
World Athletics has been considering establishing a company to manage broadcast rights and is understood to be open to new partners.
Marcel Muenster, a healthcare entrepreneur and the chief executive of both GRL and RunGP, believes World Athletics needs fresh, innovative formats to breathe new life into the sport, particularly through mass-participation running events like marathons.
RunGP is a team-based series designed to combine elite athletes and influencers in races around F1 tracks. It is backed by Sir Mo Farah, and its inaugural event, which will be streamed live by Dazn, will take place at the Lusail International Circuit, home to the Qatar Grand Prix, on 9-10 May.
Muenster told The Independent the plans are about “merging forces and not taking over World Athletics as a foundation … [we want to] take the commercial rights, create a spin-off and basically make this into a for-profit entity, while the governing body itself should remain independent”.
World Athletics makes profits in Olympic years thanks to direct payment from the International Olympic Committee, but those profits are outweighed by the losses in the intervening three years in each Olympic cycle, with losses of around £13m and £12m posted in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
The World Athletics Championships take place every two years and are the sport’s main draw outside the Olympic Games. The Diamond League, its annual series of global meets, is facing competition as Michael Johnson prepares to roll out the elite-only Grand Slam Track in Jamaica next month.
A Saudi Arabia-backed sports fund, Surj Sports Investments, is separately considering investing in the sport, according to a recent report by Reuters.
Muenster did not disclose the potential finances involved in any deal with RunGP, but believes World Athletics is receptive to a proposal.
“This is intended to change the sport,” he added. “Sometimes you need to break something to change it. It comes from a good place. It’s not a hostile takeover, it’s just the sport has so much potential.”
World Athletics has been contacted for comment.
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