Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
US distance runner Sara Hall has been named an official ambassador for RUN X™, joining world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier to promote the inaugural World Treadmill Championship. The launch event was held at Technogym Village in Cesena, Italy, introducing the new 5km virtual treadmill competition.
Hall is among the fastest US marathon runners, with podium finishes at the London and Chicago marathons, a fifth-place marathon finish at the 2022 World Championships, and a former US half marathon record of 1:07:15. Her versatility is seen as an asset in representing RUN X™, a format created to unite elite athletes and everyday runners in a virtual racing environment.
Launched by Technogym and World Athletics, RUN X™ will let participants globally race on connected treadmills at affiliated fitness and sports centers. Results will be posted on an online leaderboard. The competition begins in October 2026, culminating in a world final in March 2027, with a prize pool of US$100,000. World Athletics will also grant wild cards for the World Road Running Championships through the event.
Hall commented that RUN X™ reimagines running by letting people everywhere compete, connect, and challenge themselves. She noted that treadmill racing creates a unique and accessible opportunity, uniting elite and recreational runners on a global stage. Jimmy Gressier, gold medalist in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m at the 2025 World Championships, added that the format makes racing accessible to all backgrounds.