What was the only event at the 1976 World Championships in Athletics?

The only event at the 1976 World Championships in Athletics was the men’s 50-kilometre walk.

The one-race championship was held in Malmö, Sweden, on September 18, 1976. It was created because the International Olympic Committee had removed the men’s 50-kilometre walk from the Montreal Olympic programme, even though the event had appeared at every Olympics since 1932.

The race was won by Soviet athlete Veniamin Soldatenko, who became the first IAAF world champion. Mexico’s Enrique Vera finished second and Finland’s Reima Salonen third. Forty-two walkers from 20 countries entered, with 37 completing the course.

This unusual meeting was not yet the full modern World Championships. Afterward, the IAAF moved toward a regular, stand-alone championship with a complete programme, beginning the development that led to today’s global athletics championships.