The 2023 World Championships director Éva Petrik revealed that the chances of athletes breaking world records in marathon disciplines are very slim due to the nature of the course.
The event is scheduled to be held in Budapest, Hungary between Saturday, August 19, and Sunday, August 27.
Speaking during the unveiling of the route that will be used, Petrik stated that the course is unfriendly.
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"It's a well-run course, where the best in the world will be able to deliver their top performance. Its world record potential is slim, not because it's not a fast course.
"But because the Berlin course, where the recent world records were set, is so good. It was also an important aspect to show as many beautiful parts of Budapest as possible," read part of her statement.
She also disclosed that they picked the route after considering several other options.
"From the beginning, we considered about 30 possible options. There were and are many possibilities in this city as to how to draw a route for a marathon.
"In the end, we chose this 10-kilometer course, which will be completed by the world's best in four laps in August," said Éva Petrik, competition director of the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, former Hungarian champion marathoner," explained Petrik.
The men's and women's marathons are expected to be staged on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday 27 respectively.
Both the men's and women's world records are currently being held by Kenyans.
Brigid Kosgei broke the women’s record in 2019 while Eliud Kipchoge bettered his mark at the 2022 Berlin Marathon.
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships staged in Oregon, United States, Kenya performed dismally, failing to bag a gold medal in the men’s and women’s categories. The races were dominated by Ethiopians.
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