Max Burgin secured his place in the 800m final at the World Athletics Championships, and we feel that the Diamond League Final runner-up can bring Britain some much needed joy. Priced at 12/1 he’s the value play for the race.
World Athletics Championships Men’s 800m Odds
The odds for the final are out and even the most partisan Brit must concede that Emmanuel Wanyonyi is the favourite for the World Athletics Championships 800m.
However, we feel that there is a real opportunity if you back Burgin as we feel that his performances over the season has been critically undervalued. We think that 12/1 represents a great opportunity given that the Yorkshireman has proved he can handle the big stage and is a genuine medal contender.
Check out the odds at bet365, one of the best online bookies in the UK, where a £10 wager on Burgin would bring you a £130 return. Apply the bookie's bet boost and you are looking at odds of 14/1 which would give a payout of £150.
| Athlete | Odds at bet365 |
| Emmanuel Wanyonyi | 5/4 |
| Mohamed Attaoui | 13/4 |
| Marco Arop | 5/1 |
| Cian McPhillips | 7/1 |
| Djamel Sedjati | 10/1 |
| Max Burgin | 12/1 |
| Tshepiso Masalela | 66/1 |
| Navasky Anderson | 100/1 |
Odds correct on 19/09/2025 at 11:10. Odds subject to change.
Back Burgin: Why we Feel Brit is Great Value
Burgin is ranked seventh in the world on times. However, three of the men who have run quicker will not contest the final. Furthermore, Burgin was a close second to favourite Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the Diamond League final, leaving four of his rivals on Saturday trailing in his wake.
Burgin burst onto the scene in 2022, when his 1:43.52 in Turku put him fourth on the British all-time list. Which, even accounting for the super shoes was some achievement for a 20-year-old. He made the semi-final at the World Athletics Championships in 2023 before going on to make the final of the 800m at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
This year he has lowered his personal best to 1:42.36 at the London Diamond League before his superb second place in the Diamond League Final. Burgin is naturally a front runner who goes well off a fast pace and a criticism of him in the past has been that he can struggle tactically in championship races, where there are no pacemakers and wave lights.
However, there are signs that Burgin has addressed this and his performance in Zurich (the Diamond League Final has no pacemakers) was a case in point. We think that he is ready to step up and take a medal on the world stage and at 12/1 he is great value.
World Championships 800m: Other Leading Contenders
Let’s have a look at the other athletes who we think are the most likely to take the gold medal in the World Athletics Championships 800m.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi: Olympic Champion Favourite
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi is the favourite to win and, as much as we think Burgin is a great value bet, you have to acknowledge that he is the man to beat. The 21-year-old finished runner-up in the Worlds in Budapest in 2023 before going on to take the Olympic crown in Paris last year. His personal best for the distance is a blistering 1:41.11, set in Lausanne in 2024.
However, he is beatable and lost to Marco Arop earlier this season. If he’s not on top of his game in the final, then Burgin can take advantage.
Marco Arop: Defending Champion Still in the Mix
Canadian Marco Arop won this title in 2023 and finished second in the Olympics to Wanyonyi last year. His personal best of 1:41.20 was set in Paris last year and he is strong tactically. We actually think that his 5/1 odds are a little generous. One thing in Arop’s favour is that his semi-final was comfortably the slowest, with 1:45.09 being enough to see him through. This means that Arop and the other qualifier from that race, Djamel Sedjati could be fresher than some of their rivals.
That said, Burgin comfortably beat Arop in Zurich and there is no reason why the Briton can’t do it again.
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