Following previous deals with VTB, Seiko, Epson and TDK, Toyota will now become the 5th sponsor of the IAAF for this competition.  Mondo has been previously announced as the IAAF official supplier.

“On behalf of the IAAF, I am very pleased to announce that Toyota will continue to work hand in hand with us as we try to develop the sport of athletics," said IAAF President Lamine Diack. "As one of the world’s top companies, this decision to partner us until 2009 indicates a shared belief in our sport’s values as well as the commercial and marketing potential of our top competition.”

On top of the Official IAAF Partner agreement, Toyota will become the official women’s bib sponsor and support the World Record Programme, a promotional initiative which offers a bonus in recognition of those women who break an official world record at the World Championships.

Toyota’s involvement with the IAAF began at the 9th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Paris in 2003 and continued for Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007. In its role as Official IAAF Partner, the company supported the infrastructure for these championships by providing a fleet of cars.

The Toyota Prius—the world’s leading hybrid passenger car—was supplied as the natural choice to lead the world’s best long-distance runners in previous marathon events whereas provision of new technology vehicles is in consideration for the marathon races in 2009, and as in the past, Toyota will also provide much needed value in kind in the form of vehicles to the organizing committee as part of the agreement.