Glasgow to host two major indoor athletics events

Glasgow is to stage two major indoor athletics events next year.

Guy Learmonth is looking forward to two major events coming to the Emirates in Glasgow. Picture: Jeff Holmes

The Emirates Arena will play host to the Muller Indoor Grand Prix on 15 February before the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships takes place at the same venue the following weekend.

It means the entire British indoor season will be held in Scotland.

Glasgow is no stranger to high-profile athletics events, having hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and the European Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Guy Learmonth believes it will be the perfect springboard for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Scottish 800m runner Learmonth competed at the Commonwealth Games on home soil and captained the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the European Indoors in March.

He is delighted to see these events come to Glasgow and is relishing the prospect of competing in front of home crowds once again.

"My first championships was the Glasgow Commonwealth Games," said Learmonth. "I thought they would be almost once in a lifetime, these big sporting events in Glasgow.

"But we've had the European Indoors last time, now we've got the Indoor Grand Prix and then the week after - for the first time ever - the British Championships are here.

"It's incredible. It's amazing that so many big sporting events are coming to Scotland and coming to Glasgow. It's amazing to be a part of that.

"It's massive. Everything's leading into Tokyo so it's going to be a great springboard having two big races in such an important year.

"I really want to capitalise on these and run well. Now there's an extra motivation to run well in front of a home crowd. I always raise my game on these big occasions.

"You never want to let anyone down - that sounds crazy but my friends and family when it's back home in Scotland can all come and watch.

"A lot of my races now are abroad and across the UK so it's difficult for them to get to, so when they're in the crowd it really lifts me.

"The atmosphere goes through the roof and the Scottish people really get behind you and their own.

"It's an incredible feeling so it'll lift me massively next season."

Learmonth narrowly missed out on qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Doha, which gets under way this week.

And he admits having two big home events to look forward to have given him a huge lift as he looks to move on from a difficult year.

He added: "This year has been full of everything and anything - loads of injuries, illnesses, lots of setbacks. It's been a very difficult year so I'm glad to see the back end of it.

"I was two weeks into my break and I got a call about this and straight away I thought 'right, let's get back training'.

"It keeps me motivated and gives me a big, big lift so hopefully I'm making sure I'm correcting all the mistakes and I won't have the year I've had this year, next year.

"It's a very important year so it'll be full steam ahead."

To register for ticket updates, visit: https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/events-and-tickets/2020-event-registration/