Getting thrown in to the thick of athletics media at the 2025 World Championships was a humbling experience, to say the least. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I definitely didn’t anticipate feeling hot, sweaty, tired, stressed, overwhelmed and excited all at once–for nine days straight.
Maybe things would have gone differently if the championships were hosted somewhere cooler. But Tokyo in September means temperatures around 30 C with 90+ per cent humidity, making it feel hotter than 40 C most days. A handheld fan isn’t optional–it’s essential. (Luckily, Japanese electronics store Bic Camera has at least 20 varieties to choose from.) A change of clothes is also mandatory after walking anywhere, water is never quite cold enough and air conditioning feels like a miracle.
Being an endurance athlete and all, you’d think stairs wouldn’t really be a problem. But at the stadium, the number of steps between the media centre, the stands and the mixed zone felt like its own workout–and the elevators were far too slow. The pace is constant–back-and-forth, go-go-go; this is not a place you can manage with an injury, and your knees had better be ready for the challenge. You will be running up and down the stairs, whether you like it or not.
My biggest surprise? How much I relied on 7-Eleven. With morning and evening sessions, food breaks are scarce, and lines at the stadium stretch endlessly. 7-Eleven became my go-to for snacks, onigiri (rice balls), coffee or even an entire meal. It’s easy to forget to eat and drink enough when bouncing between watching events, writing stories, updating social media and conducting interviews. And at the end of the night, the last thing I wanted to do was go out for food–7-Eleven was convenient, fast and surprisingly tasty.
Some other lessons I only learned the hard way:
- Memorabilia from the championships sells out on the first day (so don’t wait).
- Avoid the subway at rush hour, unless you feel like cuddling sweaty strangers.
- Wifi and data are never guaranteed.
- When the World Athletics results site crashes, it’s one of the most stressful experiences ever.
But amid the chaos, there are unforgettable highs. The stadium itself is beautiful. The crowd erupted whenever a Japanese athlete performed; when Japanese sprinter Yuki Joseph Nakajima set a national 400m record, the noise was deafening. Interviewing or brushing shoulders with athletes I’ve admired for years was surreal. And in a full-circle moment, I watched Camryn Rogers win world championships gold. (In 2018, I was her teammate on the U20 World Championships team, where I also saw her take the title.)
It’s a whirlwind: exhausting, inspiring and chaotic, all at once. And if I learned one thing, it’s that there’s not really any way to prepare–just do your best, learn as you go and have fun. And don’t skip the Media 800m race–other than throwing up, that was my favourite part.
