You’ve probably heard of marathons, half-marathons and ultramarathons, but what about a treadmill championship? Technogym -- the fitness brand known for its high-performance treadmills and fitness equipment -- is partnering with World Athletics, the international governing body for athletics, to launch the inaugural World Treadmill Championship called Run X.Â
Technogym and World Athletics will host the first 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) competition in 2026, they announced Monday. The date of the championship is yet to be announced.Â
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Technogym equipment can be found in 100,000 wellness centers and 500,000 homes worldwide. These gyms will have an opportunity to be part of the network of wellness clubs hosting Run X.Â
The two organizations saw an opportunity in running sports, which already has plenty of outdoor races, to offer an indoor competition that focuses specifically on treadmill running. The competition places recreational runners on the same surface as professional athletes, so they can compete no matter where they live. The only rule is that participating gyms have treadmills connected to Technogym’s Digital Ecosystem for the 5km results to count. There will be an online leaderboard showing real-time, worldwide rankings.
Once the initial race is concluded, the top runners from across the globe will be divided by age group and advance to regional championships to qualify for the world final. The final will gather the top 10 men and women runners to compete for the treadmill world championship title. A location for that event is yet to be announced.
The concept of creating an indoor treadmill competition could open up the world to a new sport. Other indoor competitions like Hyrox (which combines running and functional workout stations) have gained popularity, and running is experiencing a boom in popularity thanks to Gen-Z runners. Perhaps the future of sports will bring more competitions indoors, making it more accessible for new athletes to participate.