World Athletics has launched the nomination process for its 2027 Council elections, setting the stage for a pivotal Elective Congress that will take place in Beijing, China, in September 2027 — immediately before the World Athletics Championships.
At that Congress, Member Federations will elect the next World Athletics President, four Vice Presidents and 13 individual Council Members for the 2027–2031 term, in accordance with the federation’s Constitution and Rules & Regulations.
The campaign period opens on 1 March 2026, with nominations required to be submitted by 1 June 2027. Prospective candidates must first apply to the independent Vetting Panel by 31 March 2027 and be declared eligible before they can be formally nominated by their Member Federation’s Board.
The election will mark the end of an era. Current President Sebastian Coe — widely known as Seb Coe — is serving his third term and, under World Athletics’ term limits, is not eligible to stand again.
Coe was first elected President of World Athletics in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2023. The three-term limit for Presidents — a maximum of three four-year terms — was a central pillar of the sweeping governance reforms he introduced in 2016, shortly after taking office. As a result, the 2027 election will usher in new leadership at the top of the sport’s global governing body.
Reflecting on his time in office and the responsibilities facing those who seek election, Coe said leading World Athletics over the past decade had been “an immense honour and privilege.”
“Running for President, Vice President, or Council member comes with a huge amount of responsibility and accountability,” he said. “The decisions World Athletics needs to make over the next decade are as crucial as those we have made in the last decade, albeit on a much sounder and more stable foundation.
“As elected members to govern athletics, we are caretakers doing all we can to improve and grow our sport so that we can hand it over to others in the best shape possible so they too can improve and grow athletics around the world.”
The 2027 elections will continue under a competency-based framework designed to strengthen governance, transparency and accountability. The process will be overseen by the independent Election Oversight Panel (EOP), supported by the independent Vetting Panel.
All candidates and Member Federations will be bound by World Athletics’ Integrity Code of Conduct. The EOP is responsible for ensuring that the organisation, running and supervision of the elections meet the highest standards of integrity, and that candidates conduct their campaigns with honesty, fairness and respect. Meanwhile, the Vetting Panel will assess whether applicants meet the federation’s strict integrity requirements before they can stand for election.
In line with World Athletics’ commitment to transparency, the election process will include multiple structured opportunities for candidates to present their vision and engage directly with Member Federations. The objective is to ensure that voters are fully informed and that the most qualified individuals are elected to guide the sport through its next chapter.
With major decisions looming in areas such as competition structure, commercial growth, athlete welfare and global development, the leadership elected in Beijing will play a critical role in shaping athletics through the next decade.
As Coe prepares to step aside after more than 12 years at the helm, the 2027 Congress represents both continuity and change — the continuation of governance reforms designed to modernise the sport, and the beginning of a new presidential era for global athletics.