THE best track athletes in the world are set to descend upon Glasgow’s east end for the World Athletics Indoor Championships.
In front of up to 5000 spectators at the atmospheric Emirates Arena, they will battle it out for prestigious World Indoor titles in a variety of track events during three days of intense competition at the start of March.
With the event being hosted in Scotland for the first time, the championships will have a distinctly Caledonian feel.
The event’s strapline, “Where Gallus Meets Greatness”, uses Scots language to signify Scotland and Glasgow’s ambition to be a world-renowned stage for global sporting events.
The branding also has a strong Scottish influence with the saltire and Glasgow’s key landmarks included throughout. The logo is in the shape of a thistle and representative of the Emirates Stadium’s unique architecture.
To celebrate the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) is bringing an exhibition to the city to enable the local community and visitors to engage fully with the Championships and to learn more about athletics.
The MOWA Indoor Athletics Exhibition Glasgow 2024 officially opened earlier this month and will be situated in St Enoch Centre shopping mall. Olympic 100m gold medallist Allan Wells, 1993 World Indoor Champions Yvonne Murray-Mooney (3000m) and Tom McKean (800m) attended the opening ceremony alongside guests from the City of Glasgow, British Athletics, the Local Organising Committee, Scottish Athletics and Team Scotland.
Eilidh Doyle (above), who enjoyed great success throughout her career in 400m and 400m hurdles, was also at the opening ceremony as an ambassador for the World Indoor Championships Glasgow 24. The Perth athlete has been closely engaged in the planning of the event alongside Glasgow Life.
Championships director Stuart Campbell said: “We are delighted to be working with MOWA to bring this exciting exhibition to Glasgow as part of our World Athletics Indoor Championships city activation plans.
“Glasgow has a proven track record in hosting major international events and is committed to using them to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities.
“The exhibitions are centrally located just a short walk from official hotels and key transport hubs, and we aim to create a real buzz in the city for everyone to get involved regardless of whether they have a ticket for the event or not.”
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The exhibition will celebrate more than 170 years of indoor track and field athletics. The museum will feature the indoor athletics collection of competition artefacts which date from the 1880s to 2023.
On display will be clothing, shoes, equipment, trophies and medals donated by more than 30 world champions and record breakers. There will be supporting video, photographs, and text.
The World Indoor Championships are set to take place between March 1 and 3 and, during the championships, visitors to the exhibition will be able to step into the metaverse using virtual reality headsets to explore the MOWA’s online 3D museum platform.
The MOWA is located on the ground floor at the St Enoch Centre in the centre of Glasgow. The exhibition is free to attend and will be open to the public from 10am to 6pm daily until March 3.
To celebrate 10 years since Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Games Scotland is staging Team Scotland Exhibition on the first floor in honour of the great success of the Scottish team at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Team Scotland exhibition spotlights stories of Scottish athletes who competed in track and field and will also focus on the memories of officials, volunteers and spectators who played a part in the games.
Through audio, visuals and other items, iconic moments of the Games are showcased.
John Doig, chief executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland, and Team Scotland chef de mission at Glasgow 2014, said: “The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was not only a fabulous Games and a successful one for Team Scotland, but it engaged the country like nothing else I have ever experienced.
“It also laid the foundation for the many other major international sports events that Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, has hosted since and it will be wonderful to celebrate and mark 10 years on as part of this exhibition.
“Scottish athletes have contributed some of the greatest moments to both the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships, so we see this as a fitting opportunity to be working alongside MOWA.”
The team at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 say they want to create a legacy that will benefit Glasgow, Scotland and the World Athletics community long beyond the conclusion of the competition.
The event’s social impact programme also seeks to positively effect local communities by promoting inclusion, equality, and diversity.
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Claire Shiel works for Glasgow Life and is workforce manager for the event. She is hopeful that the social impact programme will have lasting benefits for Glasgow.
She said: “There is a two-year commitment, and it is about embedding what Glasgow Life does within the championships and making sure that it has lasting support beyond the event. For example, how can we use the event as a way to encourage people to be more active and to be more positive about their local area?”
To implement the strategy, the WICGlasgow24 team are working with partners to minimise the environmental impact and increase the social impact of the championships.
Shiel said: “We are looking at foodbank donations for any food that is left over from the championships. We are also working with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) who have supported volunteer recruitment and staff training by hosting a number of wellness sessions.”
To find out more information about the championships, the MOWA Indoor Athletics Exhibition Glasgow 24 or the social impact programme, visit here.
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