As part of the official partnership agreement, Toyota also supported a program to encourage new world records in women’s events through becoming its official women’s bib sponsor.

The 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were scheduled from Aug. 25-Sept. 2, 2007 in Osaka, Japan.

Toyota’s involvement with the IAAF—the world governing body of the sport of athletics—began at the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Paris, France in 2003. In its role as official partner, the company supported the infrastructure for the championships by providing a fleet of 200 cars for transporting athletes, coaches, VIPs and officials to and from the various hospitality and housing venues around Paris.

The second-generation Toyota Prius—the world’s leading hybrid passenger car combining a powerful low-emissions petrol engine with zero pollution electric motor—was also supplied in 2005 at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, as the natural choice to lead the world’s best long-distance runners in the men’s and women’s marathon events.