Müller British Athletics Championships

Over 480 athletes have accepted their invitation to compete at the Müller British Athletics Championships 2020 at the Manchester Regional Arena from September 4-5 as athletics leads the way in welcoming Olympic and Paralympic sport back.

The first major outdoor athletics meeting of the year, and one of the first across Olympic and Paralympic sports in the UK since the government restrictions on competition were eased, will see 11 world champions compete in Manchester, including Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft (club: Leeds; coach: Jenni Banks), Aled Davies (Cardiff; Ryan Spencer Jones) and Sophie Hahn (Charnwood; Leon Baptiste).

In a sign of the strength of the Championships, there will be a further 13 world medallists on show, among them Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Sutton & District; Steve Fudge), Sammi Kinghorn (Red Star), Shara Proctor (Birchfield Harriers; Rana Reider), Laviai Nielsen (Enfield & Haringey; Christine Bowmaker) and Thomas Young (Charnwood; Joe McDonnell).

Exactly 29 finalists from the World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships in 2019 have confirmed their intention to compete, led by the in-form Jake Wightman (Edinburgh; Geoff Wightman), Laura Weightman (Morpeth; Steve Cram) and Holly Bradshaw (Blackburn; Scott Simpson) as well as Neil Gourley (Giffnock North; Mark Rowland), Abigail Irozuru (Sale Harriers; self), Sophie McKinna (Great Yarmouth; Mike Winch) and Zak Seddon (Bracknell; Jeff Seddon).

Among those numbers are 14 European (non-disability) champions while there will be 21 British champions from 2019 on show in Manchester, bidding for back-to-back titles, and 18 athletes who won gold at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow back in February.

In addition, other in-form UK leaders alongside Wightman and Weightman – Jessie Knight (Windsor Slough Eton Hounslow; Marina Armstrong) (400m hurdles & 400m hurdles), Max Burgin (Halifax; Ian / Brian Burgin) (800m), Marc Scott (Cambridge & Coleridge; Jerry Schumacher) (5000m) and Lawrence Okoye (Croydon) (discus) – have all confirmed to further highlight the level of competition in just over a week.

Returning to the Manchester Regional Arena for the first time since it acted as host between 2004 and 2007, and the first meet at the venue since its refurbishment earlier this year, the Müller British Athletics Championships will hold four para events for the first time – the men’s and women’s ambulant 100m and the men’s and women’s wheelchair – welcoming a record number of para athlete entries across the field.

Scheduled to start under the lights of the Manchester Regional Arena on Friday 4 September, the Championships will be broadcast live on BBC2 from 1800-2100 before continuing during the day on Saturday 5 September, live on BBC1 from 1315-1630.

Cherry Alexander, Major Events Director at British Athletics, said: “With almost a week to go until the Müller British Athletics Championships, excitement is really starting to build. We have had a fantastic response from athletes wishing to compete in Manchester as shown by the number of entries and also by the number of Paralympic champions and world and European medallists and finalists who have accepted their invites.

“We are proud to welcome a record-breaking number of para athletes and are continuing to work extremely hard behind the scenes to ensure the safest possible competition environment for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and staff. We can’t wait for the Championships to arrive and for our first champions to be crowned on Friday next week.”

The Müller British Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, 1800-2100 and Saturday afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630. For events outside BBC airtime, clips and full races will be posted across the British Athletics website and social media channels.

Entry lists can be found here.

#JoinTheJourney #MüllerBritishChamps

Several Great Britain and Northern Ireland stars have confirmed their participation at the Müller British Athletics Championships which will take place on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September.

Among those athletes who have committed to the Championships to date are eight finalists from the 2019 World Athletics Championships and six reigning British outdoor champions.

European indoor silver medallist and seven-time British outdoor champion Holly Bradshaw (coach: Scott Simpson; club: Blackburn) will make a return to action in the women’s pole vault. World finalist and reigning British champion Abigail Irozuru (self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester) will take on 2016 European silver medallist Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke) in the women’s long jump.

Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix) claimed the 200m title in 2019 and is among the entries for the Championships, while Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey) claimed her first British title over 400m last August and will be seeking a defence of her title in September.

In the endurance events, after a seventh-place finish in the 20km race walk at the world championship last year, Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge) will take on the 5000 metres race walk.

World 5000m finalists Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill) and Laura Weightman (Steve Cram; Morpeth) will also be in action. The Scottish athlete is a three-time British gold medallist outdoors, while the Morpeth athlete is a four-time national champion over 1500m, and she also sealed bronze over the 5000m distance last year.

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh) – fifth in the men’s 1500m at the 2019 World Athletics Championships – is ready for a tilt at his first outdoor British title following two silvers and a bronze medal since 2016.

Other athletes confirmed are Trafford’s Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen) who will make the short journey to the Manchester Regional Arena for the women’s triple jump, while European indoor pentathlon silver medallist Niamh Emerson (David Feeney; Amber Valley & Erewash) and last year’s 400m hurdles bronze medallist Chris McAlister (Marina Armstrong; Thames Valley) also join the entry list.

Cherry Alexander, Major Events Director at British Athletics, added:

“At last, I am delighted to commence the announcements of athletes who will be competing at the Müller British Athletics Championships in September at the Manchester Regional Arena. There has been a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes to make the organisation and delivery of this event possible. We are delighted to be welcoming our world class athletes back to competition in Manchester.

“These are unprecedented times so the Championships will have a different feel to them this year, but we will do everything possible to make this a special event for the athletes and coaches, and the fans watching on the BBC.”

With the championships being broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, 1830-2100 and Saturday, afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630, Britain’s best athletes will be lining up to provide athletics fans with their fix of the country’s favourite Olympic and Paralympic sport.

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 Müller British Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, 1830-2100 and Saturday, afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630.