EP 233 : The Growth Of Running With Alessio Punzi, Head of Road Running and Mass Participation at the World Athletics Artwork

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EP 233 : The Growth Of Running With Alessio Punzi, Head of Road Running and Mass Participation at the World Athletics

September 05, 2025 • Vikas Singh • Season 1 • Episode 233

In this episode, we are joined by Alessio Punzi, the head of Road Running and Mass Participation at World Athletics. Vikas and Alessio discussed the growth of running events globally and in India, categories of races & how race organizers can take their race to the next level.

The key points discussed in the conversation are :

The role of World Athletics as a governing body for ensuring active participation & maintaining rules and regulations.
The US running boom of the mid-70s and the running culture picking up in India, leading to more youth participation.
The ecosystem of World Athletics: The impact of AIMS (Association of International Marathons & Distance Races), the role of World Athletics in establishing the label scheme.
Importance of certifications & label systems for a race organizer to uplift the quality & ranking of their race.
How sustained investments & talent identification over time can help India to become an even better platform for running.

You can connect with Alessio Punzi via :

E-mail - alessio.punzi@worldathletics.org

LinkedIn - Alessio Punzi

About Vikas Singh:
Vikas Singh, an MBA from Chicago Booth, worked at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, APGlobale, and Reliance before coming up with the idea of democratizing fitness knowledge and helping beginners get on a fitness journey. Vikas is an avid long-distance runner, building fitpage to help people learn, train, and move better.
For more information on Vikas, or to leave any feedback and requests, you can reach out to him via the channels below:
Instagram: @vikas_singhh
LinkedIn: Vikas Singh
Twitter: @vikashsingh101

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Vikas Singh

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