ATHLETES UNITE TO CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO BACK 2029 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BID
Greater than 100 of Britain’s high athletes signal letter to PM to assist bid As soon as in a lifetime likelihood to encourage a era and create £400m nationwide financial and group influence legacy
Greater than 100 of Britain’s most celebrated athletes have at present written to the Prime Minister urging the UK Authorities to grab the golden alternative to deliver the World Athletics Championships again to London in 2029.
In a robust open letter revealed at present, Olympic champions, international medallists and rising stars converse with one voice — calling on the Authorities to again the bid to host the world’s largest athletics occasion on the London Stadium. Between them they’ve gained in extra of 750 medals at worldwide championships, greater than 300 of them gold.
Among the many signatories are many legends of the game from Sir Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Paula Radcliffe, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Dina Asher-Smith and Daley Thompson — representing generations of excellence, united of their message: this can be a once-in-a-generation likelihood to encourage, unite, and ship lasting nationwide legacy.
The athletes’ intervention provides additional weight to the London 2029 marketing campaign, led by Athletic Ventures, the three way partnership between UK Athletics, London Marathon Occasions and the Nice Run Firm. The bid proposes a world-class Championships on the London Stadium, requiring a one-off injection of public funding in 2028 and promising greater than £400 million in nationwide financial influence.
“That is the second to ship one thing extraordinary,” mentioned Hugh Brasher, Occasion Director of the London Marathon and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. “London 2029 will not be a danger; it’s about return on funding for the UK. Generations of athletes know the inspirational energy of a house Championships, however that is about greater than medals. It’s a imaginative and prescient for what this nation can obtain.
“With authorities assist in 2028, we are going to ship the best World Championships but: commercially strong, group powered, and globally resonant. It’s set to ship greater than £400 million in financial and group influence throughout the UK. The time to behave is now.”
However the athletes warn that with out swift authorities backing, the chance could go. Their open letter reminds Ministers that dwelling occasions create “once-in-a-lifetime” moments for athletes and followers alike — and go away legacies that “dwell on in communities, colleges, and households for years to come back.”
“It is a bid rooted in credibility and ambition,” mentioned Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. “We all know what dwelling assist can obtain and when our biggest athletes from previous and current are unified with one message, their name shouldn’t be ignored.
“With London 2029, now we have the prospect to ship a World Championships that lifts the nation, evokes the following era, and showcases Britain at its best possible. We’re prepared. Now we’d like the Authorities to face with us.”
The 2029 bid course of is because of start this summer time, with organisers urging Ministers to commit within the coming weeks to safe the Championships for the UK.
The letter is signed by: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Eugene Amo-Dadzie, Amber Anning, Dina Asher-Smith MBE, Jeremiah Azu, Steve Backley MBE, David Bedford OBE, Roger Black MBE, Tom Bosworth MBE, Joe Brier, Darren Campbell MBE, Taylor Campbell, Alastair Chalmers, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Steve Cram CBE, Linford Christie OBE, Lynn Davies CBE, Charlie Dobson, Eilidh Doyle, Jonathan Edwards CBE, Hannah England, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Mo Farah, Jacob Fincham-Dukes, Innes FitzGerald, Sir Brendan Foster, Jason Gardener MBE, Phoebe Gill, Neil Gourley, Robbie Grabarz, Dai Greene, Sally Gunnell OBE, Toby Harries, David Hemery CBE, Louie Hinchliffe, Sophie Hitchon, Keely Hodgkinson MBE, Dame Kelly Holmes, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Zharnel Hughes, Georgia Hunter Bell, Tim Hutchings, Colin Jackson CBE, Katarina Johnson-Thompson MBE, Hannah Kelly, Josh Kerr, Richard Kilty, Morgan Lake, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Dame Denise Lewis, Mark Lewis-Francis MBE, Scott Lincoln, Christian Malcolm, Eamonn Martin, Jenny Meadows, Kissiwaa Mensah, Eilish McColgan, Liz McColgan MBE, Katharine Merry, George Mills, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, David Moorcroft OBE, Laura Muir, Ashleigh Nelson, Laviai Nielsen, Lina Nielsen, Daryll Neita, Jade O’Dowda, Christine Ohuruogu MBE, Victoria Ohuruogu, Lawrence Okoye, Anyika Onuora, Alan Pascoe MBE, Ben Pattison, Jo Pavey MBE, Asha Philip, Andrew Pozzi, Reece Prescod, Charlotte Purdue, Paula Radcliffe MBE, Sam Reardon, Jemma Reekie, Michael Rimmer, Martyn Rooney, Greg Rutherford MBE, Tessa Sanderson CBE, Goldie Sayers, Wendy Sly MBE, Katie Snowden, Kelly Sotherton MBE, Andrew Steele, Danny Talbot, Iwan Thomas MBE, Chris Thompson, Daley Thompson CBE, Andy Turner, Laura Turner-Alleyne, Steph Twell, Lorraine Ugen, Laura Weightman, and Jake Wightman. (108 complete)
ENDS
For additional data, please contact:
Liz Birchall, UKA, lbirchall@britishathletics.org.uk or +44 (0) 7718 526363
Penny Dain, London Marathon Occasions, Penny.Dain@londonmarathonevents.co.uk or +44 (0)7799 170433
NOTES TO EDITORS
Athletic Ventures
Athletic Ventures is a three way partnership comprising UK Athletics (UKA), The Nice Run Firm (GRC) and London Marathon Occasions (LME) created to remodel the long run and progress of athletics within the UK and to ship main athletics occasions.
The three organisations will collectively galvanise the industrial potential of the game, providing alternatives from grassroots actions to nationwide occasions and the UK athletics GB & NI groups at main championships in an progressive ‘playground to podium’ sponsorship programme.
Athletic Ventures can even ship the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the annual version of the Diamond League within the UK, the UK Athletics Championships, the UK Athletics Indoor Championships, and can lead the bidding course of for the World Athletics Championships to return to the UK in 2029.
European Athletics Championships 2026:
Because the jewel within the crown of occasions organised by European Athletics, the biennial European Athletics Championships are the showcase of the perfect that the continental department of the game has to supply.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships can be held on the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, from 10-16 August 2026.
This would be the first time the UK has ever hosted the European Athletics Championships.
About UKA
UK Athletics is the Nationwide Governing Physique of the main Olympic and Paralympic sport in Britain. British Athletics is the game we characterize, the folks, the athletes, the followers, the crew.
We work intently with the Residence Nation Athletics Federations (HCAFs) to develop and develop all areas of the game together with elite efficiency, teaching, main worldwide occasions, competitors and grassroots programmes inside colleges and golf equipment.
Discover out extra: www.britishathletics.org.uk and uka.org.uk
About London Marathon Occasions
London Marathon Occasions (LME) organises a collection of mass-participation occasions inspiring greater than 200,000 members yearly. Its portfolio of world-class occasions contains the world’s hottest marathon. The mass participation occasions are:
The Bathtub HalfBrighton Marathon WeekendTCS London Marathon and TCS Mini London MarathonStandard Chartered Nice Metropolis RaceThe Huge Half, New Stability Huge Relay and The Huge MileSwim SerpentineVitality Westminster MileVitality London 10,000The Royal Parks Half
The London Marathon is the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising occasion and has now raised greater than £1.3 billion for hundreds of charities for the reason that first version in 1981.
London Marathon Occasions presents its surplus annually to the London Marathon Basis (the working identify of The London Marathon Charitable Belief, a registered charity (283813) and an organization restricted by assure registered in England & Wales (01550741), registered workplace: 190 Nice Dover Avenue, London, SE1 4YB).
Since 1981, the London Marathon Basis has made grants totalling in extra of £110 million to greater than 1,700 initiatives in London and throughout the UK that assist folks to grow to be and stay energetic.
About The Nice Run Firm
Our ardour and experience is main mass participation sports activities occasions and dwell tv sports activities protection.
Based by Sir Brendan Foster in 1981, the Nice North Run has grown to be the world’s largest half marathon. 60,000 runners enter annually, with a roll of honour that includes the world’s biggest athletes. This 12 months, the AJ Bell Nice Run Collection will see a whole lot of hundreds of runners take to the streets of cities throughout the UK, and tens of hundreds of kids collaborating in Mini and Junior occasions.
As well as, we stage the Arla Nice North Swim, in Windermere, the 13 Valleys Extremely within the Lake District, and different long-distance races throughout the UK.
FilmNova, the TV manufacturing arm of the enterprise, produces protection of all kinds of sports activities for broadcasters and rights holders within the UK and throughout the globe, together with BBC Sport, UEFA, Channel 4, World Triathlon, and the Boat Race.
