British Athletics has today announced that the Müller British Athletics Championships will take place on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September, with events to be held behind closed doors at the Manchester Regional Arena.
The format and shape of the competition and guidelines that will be adhered to for competitors and those helping to stage the championship will be subject to the government guidelines in place and will be communicated in due course.
The championships will be broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, 1830-2100 and Saturday, afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630.
Joanna Coates, CEO of UK Athletics said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer our athletes an opportunity to compete and still become British Champions at the end of the summer in what has been the most unprecedented of circumstances for all sport.
“People will be aware of my passion for women’s sport and I am grateful that the gender mix in athletics means everyone gets to return to the field of play. However, for those sports where men and women compete in separate structures, I urge those organisations to ensure efforts getting women’s sports back up and running are championed with the same passion and sense of urgency.
“Thanks to the BBC for supporting us to showcase our sport under the Friday evening lights, and also to Manchester City Council for their investment into the facility and working with us to confirm we could stage this event in such challenging times.
“We are sorry that we cannot host our brilliant athletics supporters this year but hope for a healthy return for fans at sports events next year and to welcoming spectators to next year’s Olympic trials scheduled for 26-27th June.”
Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Skills Culture and Leisure said:
“Although Mancunians will sadly not be able to attend in person, we’re delighted to be working with British Athletics to enable the 2020 Müller British Athletics Championships event to go ahead.
“As a world-class sporting city with elite facilities such as Manchester Regional Arena, plus a strong commitment to encouraging and widening sporting participation, Manchester is the natural choice to play host to this prestigious event.”
Ticket purchasers will receive an automatic refund via the method of payment originally used to buy tickets and will not need to do anything or make contact. However, given the extraordinary circumstances and high volumes placed on banks during these times, the refund process may take slightly longer than usual.
Finally, discussions are still ongoing with the Wanda Diamond League in relation to the Muller Grand Prix Gateshead which we can confirm is no longer scheduled for 16th August. We have identified 12th September as a possible alternative however confirmation cannot be given at this time due to UK Government guidelines and restrictions and the event will now be held behind closed doors. Ticket purchasers will receive a full refund.
Article courtesy of https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/muller-british-athletics-championships-rescheduled-for-4-5th-september/
