The London 2017 Organising Committee has today launched its search for ‘Runners’ – the volunteer programme for the World ParaAthletics Championships and IAAF World Championships. 

Up to 4,000 volunteers will be at the heart of the Championships, helping to deliver the event in The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and across London. It is anticipated that up to half of the ‘Runners’ will be from the grassroots of athletics across the UK. Others are invited through a national campaign, with the aim of retaining them in the grassroots of the sport beyond 2017 as part of the Championship’s legacy. 

Recruitment will begin on 28 June through an online application process. Members of athletics clubs and the general public can register their interest in becoming a ‘Runner’ from today at www.london2017athletics.com/volunteer and details of the application form will be sent in early Autumn 2016. Selection centres will take place before the end of 2016, with successful ‘Runners’ confirmed in early 2017. Volunteers will play a key role in the running of the 20 days of the Championships with a range of roles including transport, way-finding, meet and greet and accreditation. 

Dina Asher-Smith volunteered at the London 2012 Olympic Games and was a ‘kit carrier’ in The Stadium for a number of top athletes. She said: “The athletes at London 2017 will produce incredible moments which will last a lifetime – but it is the volunteers who will make the event feel truly special. At the London Olympics, Glasgow Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup, it was the volunteers who helped create the atmosphere to make those events really great. They are the best of Britain – and we want you to come forward and be at the heart of making London 2017 the very best event yet.” 

Asher-Smith added: “I volunteered at the London Olympic Games and it was an amazing experience. It was magical to be part of the whole occasion. I would say to everyone that they should get involved in London 2017 because it will be one of the most amazing experiences of your life.” 

The IAAF World Championships and World ParaAthletics Championships will be held in the same city in the same year for the first time ever and will be the biggest celebration of athletics since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Richard Whitehead, the reigning Paralympic, World and European T42 200m Champion, believes that volunteers are at the heart of any successful sporting event. “In 2012, the Games Makers were instrumental in creating the incredible atmosphere at the Paralympic Games. Their sense of fun and level of professionalism made the event come alive in a way that had never been seen before. It gave such a positive endorsement for Paralympic sport on a global platform and I am both grateful to and passionate about supporting the volunteer programme.”

 Find out more here.