Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham: Who, what and when?
The IAAF World Indoor Tour moves on to the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham for the penultimate meeting of 2019 on Saturday, with world-class fields and a number of top clashes in store.
Laura Muir is set to bring the house down with an attack on Kirsty Wade’s long-standing British indoor mile record in the final event of the schedule, while the programme features a 1500m showdown between Yomif Kejelcha and Samuel Tefera, whereas world indoor champion Juan Miguel Echevarria returns to Birmingham in the long jump.
Here are some key events to watch out for, together with timetable and TV listing information. See the February 14 edition of AW magazine for our full preview.
Women's mile
Laura Muir will have one eye on Kirsty Wade’s UK record of 4:23.86 and the other on winning the race.
Neither will be easy, as Wade’s mark has stood since 1988, while opposition on Saturday includes Dawit Seyaum of Ethiopia and Winny Chebet of Kenya, while Brits Hannah England, Kerry Macangus and Hannah Segrave are also in the field.
Men's 1500m
One of the highlights of the meeting sees Yomif Kejelcha – the Ethiopian who narrowly missed the world indoor mile record last weekend in New York – against world indoor gold medallist from Birmingham 12 months ago, Samuel Tefera of Ethiopia.
British entries include Josh Kerr, Chris O’Hare, Andy Butchart, Jake Heyward, Charlie Grice, Elliot Giles and Neil Gourley, while Australian runners Stuart McSweyn and Ryan Gregson, plus Kenyans Bethwell Birgin, Vincent Kibet and Brimin Kiprotich add to the quality.
Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record is 3:31.18 and could be in danger.
60m
Reece Prescod, CJ Ujah, Richard Kilty, Dominic Ashwell and Ojie Edoburun take on Asian record-holder Su Bingtian of China, in-form Ivory Coast sprinter Arthur Cisse and American Mike Rodgers in the men's event.
The women's line-up includes national champion Asha Philip plus fellow Brits Rachel Miller, Kristal Awuah, Bianca Williams, Hannah Brier, Corinne Humphreys and hurdler Cindy Ofili as they take on a tough field that features Olympic sprints champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica and world indoor silver medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast.
Women's pole vault
Holly Bradshaw is up against in-form American Katie Nageotte, Alysha Newman of Canada, plus Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi and Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou of Greece.
Long jump
World and European indoor champion Ivana Spanovic of Serbia leads a women's field that includes domestic contenders such as Jazmin Sawyers, Abigail Irozuru, Jahisha Thomas and heptathlete Niamh Emerson.
In the men's event all eyes will be on Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria, the world indoor champion in Birmingham last year, although the talented young long jumper is up against in-form Miltos Tentoglou of Greece and Thobias Nilsson Montler of Sweden, while Feron Sayers flies the flag for Britain.
A full entry list can be found here.
12:13 U13 girls 4x200m
12:19 U13 boys 4x200m
12:25 U15 girls 4x200m
12:31 U15 boys 4x200m
12:37 U17 women’s 4x200m
12:43 U17 men’s 4x200m
12:49 ‘Project B 60m’
13:20 Women’s pole vault
13:26 Men’s 60m hurdles heat 1
13:30 Men’s long jump
13:35 Men’s 60m hurdles heat 2
13:45 Women’s 800m
13:55 Men’s 400m
14:05 Women’s 3000m
14:21 Women’s 400m
14:27 Men’s high jump
14:32 Men’s 60m hurdles
14:42 Men’s 60m heat 1
14:52 Men’s 60m heat 2
15:02 Women’s 60m heat 1
15:07 Women’s long jump
15:12 Women’s 60m heat 2
15:22 Men’s 800m
15:33 Men’s 1500m
15:44 Women’s 60m hurdles
15:55 Men’s 60m
16:05 Women’s 60m
16:15 Women’s one mile
Timetable correct at time of publication
The meeting will be televised in the UK from 13:15 on BBC One, the BBC Sport app on Connected TV and on the BBC Sport website.
Look out for updates on our social media channels and website ahead of in-depth coverage in next week’s magazine.
» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
