The world athletics championships is expected to have the highest attendance figures in the event’s history after organisers announced on Friday that more than 650,000 tickets have been sold.

The event which began in 1983 will take place in London from 3rd to 17th

August.

News coming indicate that tickets have completely been sold out for the opening night at the London Stadium when Britain’s Mo Farah will bid for his third successive gold in the 10,000 metres.

The highlight set to be Jamaican Usain Bolt’s final major 100 metres race and more than a quarter of a million spectators are expected over the first weekend.

The championship director Niels de Vos said in a statement that “For those that missed out on the London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic Games this is really it, the best chance to see the stadium in that form once more and I cannot stress enough how amazing the action is going to be,”

Tickets remain in high demand for the session on Sunday, Aug. 6 when Briton Jessica Ennis-Hill is to receive her 2011 world championship gold medal in heptathlon.

Ennis-Hill was upgraded from her silver in Daegu, South Korea after champion Tatyana Chernova of Russia was found guilty last year of doping in that period.

“It is going to be a special night for me and I am honoured that the IAAF and the organisers of the London world championships have offered me the chance to receive my medal in front of the British fans,” Ennis-Hill said.