The city of Debrecen in Hungary hosts on the 8th of October 2006 the 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships for a distance of 20 km. It is one of the official championships organized under the supervision of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships, Debrecen, Hungary involves 180 competitors representing 65 countries, including Qatar’s 5 athletes.

Qatar’s delegation, presided by Mr. Khalid Almeer the Vice-President of Qatar Athletics Federation, reached Budapest recently to participate the first version of this championship, as it has been founded to replace the World Half Marathon Championship which was held for the last time in the city of Edmonton in Canada last year.

It is aspired and expected that our champions will achieve featured results whether in the individual or in the team competitions for which the International Association of Athletics Federation allocated valuable prizes. There would be a second chance to our champion Mubarek Hassan Shami to have a compensating victory due to his last year’s missing of title in Edmonton’s 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in which Shami achieved the 2nd rank following the Tanzania’s Fabiano Joseph Naasi. Mubarek Hassn Shami was taking the lead till the last meter but the Tanzanian competitor could pass him leading to Shami’s loss of title and half of the 30000 dollars prize.



Seizing the title of the 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships, Debrecen 2006, would not be easy despite the absence of the Tanzanian Fabiano Joseph Naasi. This is due to the participation of the Eritrean Zersenay Tadesse, the 2004 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist and the winner of best the four records in the half marathon events, and the 3rd fastest athlete in the 20 km races. Also, Tanzania’s Martin Soul would participate in this race. He is the winner of the bronze medal in the 2003 World Half Marathon Championships. Moreover, many featured champions would participate in the 1st IAAF World Road Running Championships, Debrecen 2006, representing different countries like Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.