2026 World Running Championships: Jimmy Gressier, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Andreas Almgren, Agnes Ngetich... who are the favourites in Copenhagen?

Road mile: Agathe Guillemot seeks revenge as Yared Nuguse sets the standard

The first event of these championships takes place on Saturday morning, at 10:10 for the women and 10:30 for the men. It’s the classic road mile, a distance of 1,609 metres. A discipline of its own, where positioning and the final kick can make all the difference.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu starts as the clear favourite. A two-time world indoor champion, over 1,500m in 2024 and 3,000m in 2025, she finished second in Riga in 2023 behind Diribe Welteji. She will arrive in Copenhagen full of confidence after an excellent outdoor season, winning the 5,000m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels before taking two strong fourth places in the 1,500m and 5,000m at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest last weekend.

There is plenty of quality behind her, too. France’s Agathe Guillemot has a genuine chance to make an impact. The Breton, fourth at the European Championships in Birmingham this summer and French record-holder for 1,500m in 3:56.24, has a formidable finishing speed. She has big ambitions for this race and should also lower the French road mile record, currently held by Bérénice Cleyet-Merle at 4:34.41 in Riga in 2023. American Addison Wiley and Australia’s Sarah Billings will also be worth watching, along with Kenya’s Mirriam Cherop.

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In the men’s race, American Yared Nuguse stands out as the man to beat. The Olympic bronze medallist over 1,500m in Paris and former world indoor mile record-holder, he recently won the US road mile title in 3:54.06 and arrives fresh from fifth place in the 1,500m at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. He will face strong opposition, including Vincent Ciattei, who finished just behind him at the national championships, as well as Germany’s Robert Farken, Welshman Jake Heyward and Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran. South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite, who outkicked Olympic champion Cole Hocker over 3,000m last June, and Croatia’s Marino Bloudek, stepping up from the 800m, add further intrigue to a wide-open race. France’s Romain Mornet, a finalist in Birmingham, and Flavien Szot, a recent tactical winner of the 1,500m at the Mediterranean Games, will be looking to break into the leading group. Szot will also double up in the 5K that afternoon. A serious challenge.

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5K: Jimmy Gressier and Jakob Ingebrigtsen set for a blockbuster clash

The headline event takes place on Saturday afternoon, at 14:10 for the women and 14:40 for the men. For the first time, Jimmy Gressier and Jakob Ingebrigtsen will go head-to-head on the road.

The Frenchman, reigning 10,000m world champion after his victory in Tokyo in 2025, arrives in Copenhagen as one of the favourites. His European 5K record, set in April in Lille in front of a raucous crowd in 12:51, makes him the third-fastest man in history, just two seconds off the world record. But Gressier struggled to back up that status this summer. At the European Championships in Birmingham, he had to settle for fourth in the 5,000m and bronze in the 10,000m. More recently, he pulled out of his attempt on the one-hour track world record to focus fully on preparing for the World Running Championships in Copenhagen. A strategic decision that says plenty: the 5K remains the Boulogne native’s favourite playground, and he makes no secret of his ambition to win a second world title.

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But the task looks daunting. Standing in his way is one of the greatest middle-distance runners in history, Jakob Ingebrigtsen. After Achilles surgery kept him out for several months, the Norwegian returned to the highest level remarkably quickly. He recently won a fourth consecutive European 5,000m title in Birmingham before dominating the 5,000m at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest against a world-class field. He is, naturally, the overwhelming favourite. The battle with Jimmy Gressier promises to be an epic one.

Behind that duel, Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune, second in Lille in 12:54, will be a serious contender despite dropping out of the Ultimate Championship. Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu, European 10,000m silver medallist ahead of Gressier himself, and French-South African Maxime Chaumeton , whose 13:06 in Lille is a national record, make up an exceptionally strong leading group. Flavien Szot will also represent France just hours after racing the mile.

The women’s field is tighter. Likina Amebaw arrives just six days after winning the 5,000m at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest in dominant fashion. The Ethiopian leads the 2026 world rankings over 5,000m with 14:18.41 in Rome and has a 14:23 personal best for 5K. Her teammate Aleshign Baweke is among the main threats. Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga , whose 14:19 is the fastest mark in the field, and Caroline Gitonga, who has set personal bests at all three of her preferred distances this year, give Kenya formidable depth. Dutchwoman Diane van Es, the European record-holder in 14:33, carries European hopes. Belgium’s Jana Van Lent, who recently won European bronze in the 10,000m, has ultimately withdrawn from the Copenhagen championships to bring her season to a close.

Half marathon: Agnes Ngetich stands apart as Etienne Daguinos faces a champion-packed field

The weekend programme concludes on Sunday morning, at 9:10 for the women and 9:45 for the men, with the long-distance event: the half marathon.

In the women’s race, Agnes Ngetich stands head and shoulders above the competition. The Kenyan began 2026 in style by winning the world cross-country title in Tallahassee, then ran the fastest 10K in the world this year in Lille in 28:58 and the fastest 3,000m in the world in Monaco in July in 8:08.95. Her versatility on the track and road is remarkable. She also holds the 10K world record, 28:46 in Valencia in January 2024, and owns the second- and third-fastest half marathons in history: 1:03:04 on her debut in Valencia in 2024, followed by 1:03:08 the following year. Only Letesenbet Gidey’s world record is quicker. Ngetich’s only off day this season came at the New York Half Marathon in March, where she finished 13th after going out too fast. Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama arrives with the fastest time in the field this season, 1:04:48 in Lisbon, ahead of compatriot Ftaw Zeray and Kenya’s Lilian Kasait Rengeruk , whose 1:03:32 makes her the fourth-fastest woman in history. Slovenia’s Klara Lukan, one of the season’s breakthrough athletes, and American Weini Kelati, the US record-holder in 1:06:04, round out a deep elite field that should produce a fine race.

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France is opting for collective strength, with Mekdes Woldu, the national record-holder in 1:08:19, and Alessia Zarbo in 1:08:20 leading a strong team also featuring Mélody Julien and Margaux Sieracki, both under 1:10. A strong team result is within reach for the French quartet.

The men’s half marathon could be the most spectacular race of the weekend. It is the one not to miss, with the outcome wide open. Kenya fields two heavy hitters: Nicholas Kipkorir, the season’s fastest in 58:08, the world’s second-ranked road runner and winner of the Copenhagen Half Marathon last year, and Daniel Ebenyo, the world cross-country bronze medallist in January, who is looking to improve on the silver he won in Riga in 2023 behind compatriot Sabastian Sawe. But the opposition will be fierce. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei steals the spotlight as he returns to global competition for the first time since winning Olympic 10,000m gold in Paris. The 5,000m and 10,000m world-record holder, three-time 10,000m world champion and 2019 world cross-country champion, he has a 59:21 personal best and beat Kipkorir by two seconds in Dubai in February, running 59:26. His extraordinary CV makes him an obvious contender.

Alongside him is a pack of highly competitive athletes ready to fight for the podium. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren immediately comes to mind, with a 26:45 10K personal best and the European half marathon record of 58:41. Fresh from winning the European 10,000m title, he is racing his first half marathon of the year. He is also doing so just weeks before making his marathon debut in New York on 1 November. American Conner Mantz returns to competition after an injury sustained last year, following his national marathon record of 2:04:43 in Chicago. Canada’s Rory Linkletter, who ran 59:49 at the Houston Half Marathon earlier this year, will also be one to watch.

From a French perspective, there is plenty to believe in. Etienne Daguinos carries French hopes and plenty of ambition. The European 5,000m bronze medallist this summer ran 59:27 in Berlin in March, the second-fastest French performance in history, just 14 seconds off Julien Wanders’ national record of 59:13. That record has never looked closer to falling. If the race plays out that way... Bastien Augusto, Baptiste Guyon and Victor Boudin will join him, with the goal of securing a team medal, calculated from the performances of three athletes.

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Running fans everywhere will have their eyes on Copenhagen this weekend. With an exceptional Gressier-Ingebrigtsen clash over 5K and a wide-open half marathon, the second edition of the World Running Championships promises plenty of drama. Beyond the medals, a host of national records could fall on Copenhagen’s fast course. And behind this global cast of stars lies another side of the event worth remembering. On these same Copenhagen roads, around 65,000 recreational runners will also line up at the start. Mile, 5K, half marathon: from the elite to the everyday runner, everyone has a date with Copenhagen. Bring on the weekend!