Tally ho old chaps! The UK is educating the US of A how to attend a championships.

I’d rather watch races in a 50% full stadium with actual competition than a 95% full stadium hosting a competition which can’t field 10 people in a 10,000

What ho! Enjoy watching your local High School meeting, the best run and supported T&F event in your country you lilly livered, star spangled, saveloy.

You know a World Championships is going to have higher quality competition than a Commonwealth Games, yep?

That's not the big win for the US that you think it is.

Good for Birmingham! Nice to see that you have another entertainment option besides getting blind drunk in a pub, starting fist fights in pubs, or staying home with the telly and a package of crisps watching "Dr. Who", "EastEnders", or some gardening show.

I’m going to guess you’re actually from California

World's wasn't a US problem, it was a Eugene problem

Yes, the commonwealth games where subjugated countries of the British Empire are allowed to complete. Such a noble thing, like celebrating slavery.

America sucks.

You probably write this while sucking on a 1L (0.21 Gallon) cup o' cola, you big old corn dog. Better go, I'm off to watch The Great British Bake Off - just kidding, I have a well attended athletics meeting to get to.

Stop. Just stop.

Which one? North, Central, South?

You sound like you could do with some therapeutic successful championships watching my friend. Only the six year wait until LA, stay chipper!

This is legitimately hilarious. Except it’s ‘packet’ of crisps, not ‘package’.

Oops, meant to directly reply to this.

How much do tickets cost? That was one reason people didn’t attend Eugene Worlds.

I'm curious about this too. The site doesn't let you see tickets unless you register. I wouldn't have minded driving 5-6 hours to Eugene but the lodging and ticket prices weren't worth a couple of finals. Ironically, I would've gone to USAs if Worlds didn't exist at Eugene but it seemed like the lesser option even though I didn't end up going to Worlds.

The biggest difference is that Birmingham has a population of over 1 million people and Eugene has 170,000. It's like asking 10% of the town to go, if traveling and finding shelter become a PITA for out-of-town visitors.

I was down in Southern California for a family visit and drove 10 minutes and paid $10 to see Grant Fisher break the American record in the 10,000 on a high school track, along with Cranny and a bunch of other Bowerman and On people. Time trials aren't all that exciting, even when a record is at stake, but I wish everything had that type of proximity and access. For people living in Birmingham, it's probably very easy to fit it into their week.

~£20 for a minor event, ~£50 for a major event. Bear in mind that the Commonwealth Games is actually considered quite a big deal here, which impacts attendance. I doubt we'd get the same crowds for the World's were it held in Brum.

What is the other entertainment option in Eugene you moron?

I think the Commonwealth games sum up the importance of second tier Championships - it literally makes some athletes' careers! I personally think we need more Championships of slightly "weaker" (not a complete piss take) calibre, as it gives very very good athletes who probably wouldn't win WC's their time in the sun and increases interest in how these athletes go when competing for higher honours.

To use Eilish McColgan as an example, she is world class, but has a slim chance of winning at a global champs given the depth at 5 and 10, but that 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games was unreal - those people watching now have a completely new appreciation for someone who, after getting 11th at the World Championships, but is an incredible athlete in her own right. The more competitions like this, the more each athlete's narrative builds and the more interest in athletics it generates.