The MicroPlus UK Athletics Indoors: Six Very Deep Thoughts from Across the Pond

The MicroPlus UK Athletics Indoors: Six Very Deep Thoughts from Across the Pond

1. BBC showed seven hours of coverage on Saturday, Feb. 16, and five hours on Sunday. The meet was held at Birmingham National Indoor Stadium, now Ulitta Stadium. Even BBC has learned that, after jerking athletics fans around last year and not paying UK Athletics some pennies, the BBC, bless their soul, has remembered that lots of Brits love track & field and that, in an Olympic year, lots of Brit athletes will be shaking it up a bit in Paris. And Brits love to show up the French.

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Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Champs 2024, Birmingham, England, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics

2. The crowd in Birmingham was 7,440. That was the biggest crowd EVER in the UK for indoor champs. Seven hours on Saturday, Five hours on Sunday, an excellent weekend for the sport!

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 25: General view during the Men’s 1500m during the World Athletics Indoor Tour – Birmingham at Utilita Arena Birmingham on February 25, 2023 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey – British Athletics/British Athletics via Getty Images)

3. Molly Caudery impressed and caught fans’ attention with her PB of 4.85m in the pole vault, a new world leader. Katerina Johnson-Thompson showed up, got a PB in the shot put, and is focused on Paris.

Molly Caudery cleared 4.85m, another PB, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics.

4. Now, with a new coach, Jemma Reekie felt healthy and showed her fitness with an 800m victory. After a 9.04 two-mile win in Millrose and an 8:34 3000m last December, Laura Muir ran 61 seconds last 400m to win the 3000m. Both will go to Glasgow.
Sister Act Laviai and Lina Nielson go 1-2 in 400m and go to Glasgow.

Jemma Reekie takes the 800m at Microplus UK Athletics Indoor, photo by Getty Images for UK Athletics.

5. Two days of beautiful competitions, including brilliant men’s 1,500m and men’s 800 meters and fun 60-meter sprints. Jeremiah Azu and Amy Hunt, both with the same coach, take British titles. Great crowd and all competitions were televised.

Sister Act: Laviai Nielsen, Lina Nielsen, photo by Getty Images for UK Athletics

6. The truth is this, UK Athletics, in a tough financial spot, figured out currency for BBC Sports, had a great turnout of athletes, and has a strong team going to Glasgow. It should be an excellent Indoor Champs for Team GB!

Amy Hunt takes the 60 meters, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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