JustBeingCP

I visited the UK indoor athletics championships at the Utillita Arena in the heart of Birmingham last Sunday (23rd of February).

The championships started in the second city last Saturday, 22nd of February 2025 and featured the likes of Katrina Johnson-Thompson and Morgan Lake.

Events that were featured on the second day of competition included:

Women’s Triple Jump

Men’s High Jump

Women’s 200 Meters

Women’s Shot Put

Women’s High Jump final

Men’s Shot Put final

Women’s 3000 meters final

Women’s 800 meters final

3000 meters men’s Racewalk

3000 meters women’s race walk

My seat overlooked the whole venue and was behind the High Jump bed meaning that I had a great view of all the action taking place.

Katrina Johnson-Thomson (KJT) was competing in the shot put event that was situated on the other side of the arena to where I was positioned.

The shot put took place in the morning session at 12:28pm, she finished in the respectable position of 10th in the event

Sabrina Fortune got a world record in the F20 Paralympic shot put after throwing a distance of 15.50 meters.

Morgan Lake took part in the women’s high jump event on Sunday afternoon and finished in first place after jumping 1 meter 94.

Georgia Hunter Bell was looking to defend her British 1500 meter title, which she did and this saw her qualify for next month’s European indoor championships.

Laura Muir competed in the women’s 3000 meters earlier in the afternoon and finished the race in 2nd place which meant she qualified for the European indoor athletics championships in the Netherlands in early March.

Those who finished in the top 2 of each event secured a place on the team for the European indoor championships this was however dependent on the athletes hitting the required qualification standard or a world ranking place in there event.

I am excited to return to the venue in the future because it’s so accessible and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful as snd when they are needed.

Entry to the venue was a seamless experience something I’ve witnessed on several occasions when visiting venues for concerts and other sports events across the region.

I am unable to comment on the toilet facilities inside the arena because I didn’t make use of them whilst at the venue on this occasion.

I had no issues navigating the venues concourses because people left the venue as and when the events they wanted to watch had finished meaning I could move around with ease in my chair.

If you haven’t already I strongly recommend buying an access card as this will mean that you no longer have to book event tickets over the phone if you are registered as having a disability.

This was something I did a few years ago and haven’t looked back, booking tickets for concerts and other events at venues is 1000% better now that I can book online.

Gone are the days of having to spend hours on the phone to a venues access lines trying to purchase accessible tickets for an event.

Look into purchasing an access card here: https://www.accesscard.online/

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Cam