Editorial: Hurdling the Challenges of the 2019 IAAF World Championships

The 17th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships were staged in Doha, Qatar from September 27 to October 6, 2019. In recent years, the Qatari capital Doha had an extensive history as a host of international athletics events from the first ever IAAF Grand Prix in 1997 to the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the Doha Diamond League. However, the 2019 IAAF World Championships has been the largest sporting event held in Doha to date in terms of global reach and impact. Doha welcomed over 200 countries and 2,000 athletes with ~10,000 international guests, 30,000 spectators from outside Qatar, and more than 2,000 media personnel.