Around 75 aspiring athletes, their coaches and volunteers from Chester-le-Street and District Athletics Club, Leeds City Athletic Club, and Wigan Harriers Athletics Club attended the action at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham after winning tickets through SPAR’s Go to the Games competition.
Run by James Hall & Co. Ltd, SPAR Go to the Games sought the nomination of unsung heroes by athletics clubs to win a day out at the Birmingham spectacle on the day Team GB star Keely Hodkginson began the defence of her 800m European Athletics gold medal won in Rome in 2024.
A class from St Pius X Catholic Preparatory School in Preston joined the athletics clubs in Birmingham. Pupil Ibrahim Musa, age 9, won tickets for his school mates by designing the 20 Year celebration SPAR Lancashire School Games logo with the winning design chosen by Keely.
Also in attendance from St Pius was pupil and talented junior runner Cora Alton, age 11, who has ambitions of following in the footsteps of her idol Hodgkinson after winning the same 2km Red Rose Cross Country League trophy Keely won in 2012 earlier this year.
The 2026 Birmingham European Athletics Championships are the first time the event has been held in the UK and all winners received a bag full of branded goodies celebrating SPAR’s 30 years as principal partner of European Athletics. Travel costs were also covered for all four groups by SPAR to facilitate a special day out.
Cora said: “I love running and it was fantastic to be in Birmingham with my school friends and my mum to cheer Keely on and see her run in the 800m event.
“It was a great feeling to win the cross country trophy earlier this year and it still amazes me my name is on the same trophy that Keely won when she was a junior.”
Vicki Burns, from Chester-le-Street and District Athletics Club, said: “We were absolutely thrilled when we heard the news we had won tickets through SPAR. Our coaches and volunteers are the heartbeat of our club, so being able to share this experience with them as well as our athletes means more than words can express. It felt like we had won a gold medal.
“The early start and journey down from County Durham were more than worth it. Our young athletes have come away feeling truly inspired after watching world-class competitors in action on the day. The fantastic weather and atmosphere made the experience even more memorable, creating lasting memories that will stay with these young people for years to come.
“A huge thank you to SPAR for making this possible. Without their support, many of our athletes would not have had the opportunity to attend. The goodie bags were a fantastic too, and the SPAR bucket hats and water bottles proved especially useful on such a warm, sunny day in Birmingham.”
Philippa Harrington, Marketing Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host all our winners at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on behalf of SPAR in the milestone 30th year of partnership between SPAR and European Athletics.
“I am so pleased to hear such a wonderful time was had by all who attended. When we launched our respective competitions, we wanted to inspire the next generation that it could be them competing on the track in future years, and it sounds like we have achieved that.”