The 2024 Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships was a bit of fresh air for British Athletics. A record-setting crowd of 7,440 enjoyed many hours of track and field and the wonders of the exciting athletes fighting for a position on Team GB. Truth is, we saw that on our side of the pond (the great athletes), only problem was NO ONE saw the WRs on Friday, not even Grant Holloway and Tia Jones. BBC showed it all, as they have figured out that Brits, Scots, and Welsh all love track & field. Imagine what would happen if NBC figured that out in the US?
Thanks, Stuart Weir, for your wonderful writing, and I miss seeing you at track meets on the broadcast!
Final thoughts of GB Indoor Champs
From a marketing point of view, UKA got everything wrong during the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships. As everyone knows, spectators only want a slick 2-hour program with as few field events as possible. Yet there was UKA offering a seven-hour program on the first day and over 5 hours on the second day, covering the full range of the sport – even race-walking and para-athletics. Yet the sold-out, record-breaking 7,000 crowd loved it.
There were superstars of British athletics – Lara Muir and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. There were wins for Morgan Lake and Jemma Reekie. There were excellent shot put competitions won by Scott Lincoln and Amelia Campbell (nee Strickler)
Jeremiah Azu was the fastest man, Amy Hunt the fastest woman. Three of the six finalists in the women’s sprint final were teenagers – what an opportunity for them to run in front of a big crowd.
The 400m athletes had to fit in three rounds in a little over 24 hours, and did they deliver – I have given them tomorrow off – well, tomorrow morning. Lee Thompson won the men’s and Laviai Nielsen the women’s despite her annoying twin sister trying to ruin her day!
In that lovely, unpredictable way that our sport has, the standout event was Molly Caudery’s world-leading 4.85 in the women’s pole vault. It was a pole vault competition of two halves, with three athletes achieving PRs, but Caudery won the competition with her first leap, coming in at 4.41; she cleared 4.61. 4.75. 4.85 and had a go at 4.91 before waiting for a delighted crowd.
TV coverage was on BBC – accessible to all – with excellent commentary and analysis.
My only disappointment was that this is it for indoor athletics. Birmingham was scheduled to host the WA indoor series final – as it did not last year. There has been no official announcement as to why, but the final will be in Madrid, not Birmingham.
Stuart Weir is recovering from surgery and was covering the event remotely.
You were way too subtle in your opening two sentences and most people would read that as a legitimate, negatively critical ‘take away’ assessment.
But you add – too late, “Yet there was UKA offering a seven-hour program on the first day and over 5 hours on the second day, covering the full range of the sport – even race-walking and para-athletics. YET THE SOLD-OUT, RECORD-BREAKING 7,000 CROWD LOVED IT.”
As you well know the two-hour format is for entertainment meets and the UK National Championships were just that a Championships and so you get the full, unexpurgated, unabridged content of all events and qualifying rounds.
The BBC commentators were Tim Hutchings and Hannah England and deserve identification and recognition for their superb work. Their work was recognised but not the individuals.
A better heading might be …… “Final thoughts on the sold-out, record-breaking GB Indoor Champs”
Best wishes Stuart, for your recovery from surgery