The world’s top road runners and race walkers are nominated for World Athletics Out of Stadium Athlete of the Year awards for women and men.
The women’s nominees:
- Ethiopian Tigst Assefa (London Marathon winner in women’s only world record)
- Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan (Sydney Marathon winner)
- Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir (world marathon champion)
- Kenyan Agnes Ngetich (women’s only world road 10km record)
- Spaniard Maria Perez (world champion in 20km and 35km race walks)
The men’s nominees:
- Brazilian Caio Bonfim (world 20km race walk champion)
- Canadian Evan Dunfee (world champion and world record in 35km race walks)
- Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha (world’s fastest man in road 5km and road 10km in 2025)
- Kenyan Sabastian Sawe (Berlin Marathon and London Marathon winner)
- Tanzanian Alphonce Simbu (world marathon champion)
Two finalists for each award are determined by a three-way voting process from now to Sunday: World Athletics Council vote (50%), World Athletics family vote (25%) and public vote through World Athletics’ channels on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (25%).
Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted; a “like” on Facebook and Instagram or a repost on X counts as one vote.
The process was the same for Track Athletes of the Year (two weeks ago) and Field Athletes of the Year (last week).
Once the awards are down to finalists, a fan vote open for all registered users of World Athletics+ helps determine the overall World Athletes of the Year.
In 2024, the Out of Stadium Athletes of the Year were Hassan and Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, the two Olympic marathon gold medalists.
The overall 2024 Athletes of the Year were Hassan and Olympic 200m gold medalist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
