It is with regret that we have agreed with the Belarus Athletic Federation and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus to postpone the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Minsk 2020 (May 2-3), due to the ongoing challenges created by the spread of new Coronavirus (COVID-19) internationally.

The Belarus Government announced today that it was cancelling all mass events until at least early April.

The current global situation would have seriously compromised the event at this time as many countries are now restricting international travel, invoking quarantines and advising citizens and event organisers to avoid mass gatherings.

First and foremost we had to consider the health and well-being of our athletes, officials and spectators in making this decision.

The advice from our medical team, who are in contact with the World Health Organisation, is that the spread of the Coronavirus is at a concerning level in many countries and all major gatherings should be reviewed.

We are working with the Local Organising Committee to identify an appropriate alternative date for both the host city and for the elite competitors. We thank the local authorities in Minsk for all the work they have done to prepare for this event and we hope to be able to announce a new date in the coming weeks.