Event to take place in Victoria Park on July 1-2

Belfast is to host the 12th IAU 24-Hour World Championships in 2017.

The biennial event will next year be staged in Victoria Park in east Belfast on July 1-2.

The championships attracted 300 of the world’s top ultra runners from 45 nations when last held in Turin in 2015. After Turin 2015, world bronze medallist Robbie Britton shared some great insight into what it is like to compete in such an event. You can read his feature for AW here.

"It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that Belfast has been allocated the organisation of the 2017 24-Hour World Championships," said Dirk Strumane, president of the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU).

"Belfast presented us with a convincing,well-structured and strongly supported bid and we are looking forward to a fruitful and constructive co-operation."

Albi in France is to host the next 24-Hour European Championships, taking place later this year on October 22-23.