The World Athletics governing body has launched a new, standalone division to manage its operations and competitions in the world of running.

The Running & Mass Participation department was unveiled earlier this week, to be led by experienced sports governing body executive Jakob Larsen.

The new department will be responsible for World Athletics' substantial portfolio of road running, marathon, cross country, and mountain and trail events and series. In addition, it will oversee regulation, technical and educational services, as well as "the development of new partnerships and opportunities across technology, data, and the wider running industry."

Larsen will work alongside Alessio Punzi to head up this department.

Jon Ridgeon, chief executive at Monaco-headquartered World Athletics, commented: "World Athletics’ research informs us that at least 1 billion people worldwide are runners in some shape or form, making athletics the most-participated sport in the world. Mass participation running possesses the unique power to engage entire communities [...] Running is also one of the fastest-growing areas of our sport."

Currently, over 320 events worldwide hold a World Athletics 'road race' label.

This move by World Athletics has been unveiled ahead of the 2026 edition of mass-participation running's iconic TCS New York City Marathon (Sunday, November 1).

Larsen first joined World Athletics in 2020, and has spent the last three years as its head of product research and development.

Before that, he was its competitions and events director.

Prior to joining the global body, meanwhile, he spent time as a joint race director at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, while he has also spent 19 years in total working for the Danish Athletic Federation.

Punzi, meanwhile, has been at World Athletics for just over a decade. Before that, he completed a nine-month project contract at cycling's UCI governing body.