Credit: FLA

Luxembourg Athletics Federation (Fédération Luxembourgeoise d'Athlétisme - FLA) announced the selection of four athletes who will represent the Grand Duchy at the World Athletics Road Running Championships, taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026.

Luxembourg will be represented in the road mile by Ruben Querinjean, Fidelio Klein, Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann and Marine Joblin. The mile covers a distance of 1.609 km, with two women and two men forming the Luxembourg delegation.

Ruben Querinjean will compete just weeks after winning silver in the 3,000m steeplechase at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham. He subsequently lowered his own national record in the discipline to 8:05.36 and finished fourth in the Diamond League Final in Brussels on Saturday 5 September 2026. Referring to the switch to the shorter road mile distance, the FLA noted: “Over a distance much shorter than his usual 3,000 m steeplechase, Ruben will be able to make use of his speed and middle-distance qualities to compete once again at the highest international level.”

Fidelio Klein, a 1,500m specialist, will make his first appearance at a major international championship. According to the federation, he has recorded several strong middle-distance performances this season and will make his World Championships debut in Copenhagen.

Marine Joblin will also make her first appearance at a major international championship. On 13 June 2026, she set a new Luxembourg road mile record of 4:34.8 at the Big Mile race in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands, improving the previous national record of 4:37.2 held by Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann by 2.4 seconds.

Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann, who competed at the 2026 European Athletics Championships, is a multiple Luxembourg national record holder, including over 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m. She heads to Copenhagen following a season-best 1,500m time of 4:06.04, recorded in Trier on Wednesday 2 September 2026. The result was the third-fastest time of her career and came just 0.46 seconds outside her national record of 4:05.58.

Looking ahead to the women's race, the FLA noted: “In Copenhagen, the two Luxembourgers will therefore line up at a World Championships with very similar reference times over the distance. In an event where every second – and sometimes every hundredth – counts, the women’s mile promises to be particularly interesting from a Luxembourg perspective.”

The selection of two women and two men will also allow Luxembourg to compete in the mixed team classification for the mile, which combines the results of the two best men and two best women from each country.

Race schedule – Saturday:

  • 10:10: Women’s elite mile – Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann and Marine Joblin;
  • 10:30: Men’s elite mile – Ruben Querinjean and Fidelio Klein.