25th World Congress summary

It was the first time that the Congress was held so far north. Lying within the Arctic Circle at nearly 70 degrees North, in the summer there is a period of light during which the sun stays above the horizon. This is also the best time for runners to visit as the temperature moderates.

Congress delegates heard from the local organisers how the special features of Tromsø have allowed them to develop the city into a sports tourism destination. This includes a winter season with a reindeer race (for spectators) and better chances of seeing the Northern Lights.

Cultural exchange brought about through distance running has helped with ‘city branding’ in many venues.

Another topic of interest was the significance of Artificial Intelligence when applied to aspects of race organisation no matter what size the race may be. It was claimed that ‘data-driven tools are already transforming race organisation in practice’.

Before ending the morning session Alessio Punzi, Road Running manager for World Athletics, delivered a short address on global running development and alignment with AIMS.

Mats Hedenström, CEO and managing director of Stockholm Marathon, spoke on individual responsibility to safeguard sustainability practices.

AIMS President Paco Borao reviewed progress since the 24th World Congress of AIMS. He showed that membership was stable but that the distribution of members had tilted significantly such that the majority are now races in South and South-East Asia.

At the end of the first day delegates were given an Arctic experience with a trip in a cable car to the top of a nearby mountain – at midnight and in brilliant sunshine. The summit was grassy but many of the surrounding peaks were snowbound.

On the second day George Hutchins, Head of Sponsorship of Tata Consultancy Services, showed two promotional clips which evoked emotion through ‘digital storytelling’. By such means marathons can position themselves as a powerful marketing platform for brands.

Marcel Altenburg (of Start Right) was the final presenter. He described how crowd flow impacts safety and runner experience and proposed five ‘golden principles’ which can be applied to races of any size.

On the final day members voted on two matters: the hosting member of the 26th World Congress of AIMS; and four out of five places on the Board of Directors.

The next Congress of AIMS will be hosted by the Vedanta Pink City Half Marathon (India) in November 2028.

Tiago Teixeira (Porto Marathon and Porto Half Marathon) was elected to the Board.