Olympic and world medallists including Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr, Dina Asher-Smith, Jeremiah Azu, Amy Hunt, Molly Caudery, Amber Anning, Ben Pattison and Georgia Hunter Bell are set to compete at this weekend’s UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, with the event streamed live on the European Athletics website*.
The showpiece national indoor athletics event in Britain features some fascinating match-ups for UK titles, as athletes seek to confirm their places at next month’s Kujawy Pomorze 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland.
Azu and Glave face 60m clash
In the men’s 60m, world and European indoor champion Jeremiah Azu faces European 100m bronze medallist Romell Glave, who defeated him in Stockholm in January.
With 6.49, Glave heads the European list this year, but Azu has since won in Düsseldorf and will be keen to claim a third successive UK 60m title. European indoor bronze medallist Andrew Robertson is also likely to contend.
Dina Asher-Smith is no stranger to national titles, with 10 across indoor and outdoor competitions. However, the last time she won the UK indoor 60m title was in 2015. She is entered in both the 60m and 200m in Birmingham, where she will face a strong challenge from world 200m silver medallist Amy Hunt.
The women’s 400m will see world indoor champion and current world leader (50.51) Amber Anning compete on home soil for the first time this year. European U23 silver medallist Yemi Mary John is her most likely challenger.
Hodgkinson set for season opener
One of the highest-quality events is likely to be the women’s 800m, where Olympic champion Hodgkinson is making her first appearance of the season.
Also entered is Isabelle Boffey, who improved her best time to 1:57.43 in January to move to within 0.25 seconds of Hodgkinson on the UK all-time list. She currently lies second in the world this year.
However, Hodgkinson has indicated on social media that she is set to race only once at the UK Indoor Championships, as she looks ahead to another major test at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Liévin next Thursday (19).
A head-to-head clash for UK gold may therefore not materialise.
Hodgkinson’s training partner, Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell, has already made an impressive start to the season, winning the women’s 1500m in Karlsruhe in a world-leading 4:00.04.
In Birmingham, she faces a strong domestic field including 2024 world indoor 800m silver medallist Jemma Reekie and 2025 European indoor bronze medallist Revee Walcott-Nolan.
Caudery ready to launch season
In the field events, former world indoor champion Molly Caudery will make her first appearance of the season. The 26-year-old will be seeking her third UK crown as she looks to launch her campaign in style.
The men’s distance races include former world bronze medallist Ben Pattison (800m), former world cross country mixed relay bronze medallist Adam Fogg (1500m), and former world indoor 3000m champion and former world 1500m champion Josh Kerr (3000m).
In the women’s 3000m, two-time European indoor finalist Hannah Nuttall will attempt to defend her title against double European U20 champion Innes FitzGerald, who is seeking her first senior national title.
* Geo-blocked in UK