Malta will have two athletes on the start line when the world’s leading road runners take on the half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.
Luke Micallef and Simon Spiteri are representing Malta in the men’s half marathon on Sunday, 20 September, with both athletes included among the official championship entries.
A world championship on the streets of Copenhagen
The championships are taking place in the Danish capital across 19 and 20 September, with world titles being contested over the road mile, 5km and half marathon.
World Athletics says 496 athletes from 85 national federations, together with the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team, were entered for this year’s championships.
The men’s elite half marathon starts at 9:45am on Sunday. The 21.0975km course takes runners through Copenhagen’s inner city and bridge districts, with the championship race sharing the streets with a huge mass-participation event.
Micallef arrives with a strong 2026 season behind him
Micallef heads into the championships having set a half marathon personal best of 1:04:46 in Barcelona in February. He also recorded a marathon personal best of 2:18:10 in Tokyo in March and won a 10km road race in Zagreb in July in 30:47.
This will not be the first time Micallef and Spiteri have represented Malta together on this stage. Both competed in the men’s half marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, where Malta finished 17th in the team standings.
They now return to world championship competition in Copenhagen, carrying the Maltese flag against an international field on Sunday morning.
Source: Athletics Malta, World Athletics
