The Championships was one of the first major sporting events to fall victim to the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in China.

World Athletics announced at the end of January the event had been postponed until 2021.

It was originally scheduled for March 13 to 15 at the newly-built Cube gymnasium at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park.

World Athletics revealed they turned down the opportunity of relocating the Championships.

World Athletics opted against the option to relocate the event, citing concerns the spread of the virus could lead to a further postponement.

The governing body said it wanted Nanjing to host the event given the its extensive planning and preparation.

The World Athletics Council approved the new dates for the Championships at their two-day meeting here.

The World Half Marathon Championships in Poland was also among sporting events to have been postponed to date, with the event moving from March 29 until October 17.

Several half-marathon and marathon events around the world have been impacted by the outbreak.

The Tokyo Marathon took place earlier this month without spectators, while events in Barcelona, Paris and Rome have been either postponed or cancelled.