Chris Thompson says track and field must learn from 'Glastonbury' of athletics

20 May 2023 , 07:48

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Jess Judd wins Women's UK Athletics Championship at Night Of The 10,000m PBs last year (Image: Getty Images)

Olympian Chris Thompson heads to the ‘Glastonbury of 10K running’ urging UK Athletics to learn from the success of the ‘Night of the 10,000m PBs’ meeting.

Highgate Harriers’ annual showpiece draws a huge crowd for an event which incorporates the British championship and features live music, circus entertainment and races run through a beer tent.

“There’s no other event like it,” said Thompson. “For me UK Athletics should be looking at the passion of the people who have come in there and given their time, energy and efforts to make something massive.

“What they have shown is there is room to think outside the box. It’s like that concept of Field of Dreams. If you build it they will come.”

Today's event is a rare good news story for a sport on its uppers, with UKA threatened with bankruptcy and having to apply for a grant from UK Sport to help cover the costs of their London Diamond League meeting in July.

Drug-banned British sprinter CJ Ujah sent public funding warning by UK Sport

Athletics remains the hottest Olympic ticket yet there is little spectator interest in the British track and field Championships and the Diamond League is an increasingly hard sell.

Chris Thompson wins British marathon trials at Kew Gardens in 2021 (above) and (below) Highgate Harriers' 'Lactic Tunnel of Love' (TWITTER@BritAthletics)

(British Athletics via Getty Images)

UKA boss Jack Buckner admitted: “The Night of the 10k PBs shows how to create a brilliant spectacle without compromising the character of the event.

“The crowd are up close and personal and it’s clear the athletes thrive from the carnival atmosphere. It would be great to see more innovation like this across the sport.”

There will need to be if the sport is to start to reclaim lost ground before it is too late.

(Getty Images for British Swimming/Swim England)

“With everything that is going on at the moment Highgate is a beacon of light,” added Thompson, a member of the On Running team. “It says it all that in the last 10 years this is the only event at which a number of my friends have ever come to watch me.”

The Night of the 10,000m PBs returns as part of On's global series 'On Track Nights'

Alex Spink