One of this summer’s biggest events takes place on July 8-9 at the Manchester Regional Arena for the fourth consecutive year
At the UK Athletics Championships in two months’ time more than 800 athletes will go head-to-head for both national titles and selection on the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, which takes place in less than 100 days!
Last year’s event witnessed memorable victories as Daryll Neita became the first female athlete since 2010 to do the 100m and 200m sprint double and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake claimed a championship record in the 200m. Jeremiah Azu caused a shock by blasting to a wind-assisted 100m victory to become the first Welshman in 53 years to win the national crown.
Olympic silver medallist, Laura Muir provided a masterclass in the women’s 1500m, and it was a Scottish one-two-three in the men’s 1500m as Jake Wightman captured the crown on his 10th appearance in the championships. Neil Gourley snatched the silver medal in front of Olympic bronze medallist, Josh Kerr.
Max Burgin, 20, duly delivered with a fine 800m performance and stadium record. There were wins for British record-holder Matthew Hudson-Smith, Victoria Ohuruogu, Alastair Chalmers, Marc Scott, Jemma Reekie, Jessie Knight, Cindy Sember, Lizzie Bird, Amy-Eloise Markovc, Josh Zeller who all booked their place on the plane to Eugene.
In the field, multiple medallists Holly Bradshaw, Nick Miller, Jade Lally, Lorraine Ugen, Naomi Metzger, Harry Coppell, Morgan Lake, Scott Lincoln, Nicholas Percy and Ben Williams all claimed their national titles again.
Adele Nicoll caused a surprise in taking the shot-put crown, Joel Clarke-Khan leapt 2.21m to take the high jump gold medal, Reynold Banigo added to his 2020 victory winning the long jump, as James Whiteaker and Bekah Walton both retained their javelin titles. Charlotte Payne launched a 70.59m stadium record effort to take the hammer throw crown.
Following in his father’s famous footsteps, Elliot Thompson took the decathlon gold medal 46 years after Daley Thompson won the same title. In the heptathlon, Jodie Smith claimed the gold medal with 5929 points.
Now retired Tom Bosworth strode to an emphatic 5000m walk victory capturing an impressive eighth national outdoor crown, as Bethan Davies took title No.7 in the women’s 5000m walk.
The 2022 event also saw the inclusion of para races, with magnificent victories in the ambulant 100m for Zac Shaw and T38 Paralympic champion, Sophie Hahn. Paralympic and world champion Hannah Cockroft took the spoils in the women’s wheelchair 400m, while T54 athlete Nathan Maguire won the men’s wheelchair race by over five seconds and Scotland’s T20 athlete, Steven Bryce, unleashed an impressive sprint finish to take the win in the men’s Paralympic 1500m.
The 2023 event will guarantee some incredibly exciting line-ups with a host of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s medallists from both the Tokyo Olympic Games as well as last year’s hat-trick of major championships: the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
Tickets start from just £15.00 for adults, £12.00 for seniors/students and £8.00 for juniors.
Get your friends and family together and secure your tickets for an action-packed weekend of athletics – don’t miss out!