The event in Doha gets underway today (27 September) and runs until 6 October, with Team England athletes among the 73-strong Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad targeting glory. 

We have picked out five athletes to watch at the World Championships:

Dina Asher-Smith

Dina Asher-Smith at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

It has been an outstanding year so far for the double Commonwealth medallist, claiming the 100m Diamond League title off the back of winning two golds at the 2018 European Championships. 

Asher-Smith will be targeting success in three events – 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay. Should she finish top of the podium, she would make history as the first British woman to win a world sprint title.

Asher-Smith is first in action in the 100m on Saturday 28 September (from 2.30pm BST), before the semi-finals and final on Sunday (final at 9.20pm BST). The 200m final is on Wednesday (8.35pm BST), with the 4x100m final on Saturday 5 September (8.05pm BST).

Nick Miller

Nick Miller on his way to gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

2018 Gold Coast hammer champion Miller will be targeting more medals in Doha. At last year’s Commonwealth Games, the Carlisle-born athlete threw a personal best 80.26m to win the title. 

Miller goes into the World Championships seventh in this year’s standings. He starts his campaign on Tuesday, with the final taking place from 7.40pm BST on Wednesday.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Katarina Johnson-Thompson celebrating her gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

The reigning Commonwealth heptathlon champion has a great chance of winning her first outdoor world title as she resumes rivalries with Belgium’s Olympic gold medallist Nafi Thiam.

Johnson-Thompson’s already won a major title this year, claiming pentathlon gold at the European Indoor Championships, one year on from winning the same event at the World Indoor Championships.

The Liverpool-born heptathlete goes into the World Championships having set a personal best score of 6813 in Gotzis in May, the second best score in the world this year behind Thiam. She gets underway on Wednesday (from 3.05pm UK-time).

Tom Bosworth

Tom Bosworth won 20km race walk silver at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

2018 Commonwealth silver medal-winning race walker Bosworth came so close to a medal at the 2017 World Championships in London – only to suffer the heartbreak of being disqualified while leading the 20km race.

Since then, Bosworth has broken the 3000m race walk world record at the 2018 Anniversary Games and still holds the world leading time for the mile distance. 

Bosworth goes in the 20km race walk from 9.30pm BST on Friday 4 October.

4x100m relay teams

England winning men's 4x100m relay gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games

Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s men’s 4x100m relay team shocked the world when they beat USA to gold at the London 2017 World Championships – and they will be hoping to back that up in Doha. 

Three of the Team England relay squad which claimed gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games feature among the GB options this year – team captain Richard Kilty, Zharnel Hughes and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, with Adam Gemili also in the squad.

Britain’s women’s team claimed silver in London two years ago, and their challenge wil be led by Dina Asher-Smith, who will have hoped for individual success by the time the relay comes around. Asher-Smith’s 2018 Gold Coast winning team-mate Asha Philip will also be integral to potential success, with 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist Ashleigh Nelson also in the squad. 

Both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay heats are on Friday 4 October, with the finals the following day. 

  • You can watch live coverage of the IAAF World Athletics Championships across the BBC.