The Keely Klassic was innovative – but is that enough for athletics?
The inaugural Keely Klassic certainly brought the party to Birmingham. The Utillita Arena may not have been full to capacity, but the atmosphere created by the Keely Klassic has provided a foundation for what could be a legacy to build on.
With novelty races, an in-field DJ and host, and prizes to be won, the Utilita Arena was bouncing before the elite races even began. The aim of the Keely Klassic was to pull together what athletics spectators need, and to draw more young fans into the sport.
Young families were in raptures whenever Keely Hodgkinson made an appearance. Screams of ‘Keely, Keely!’ followed her round the arena, with endless autograph and photo requests, to which she kindly obliged despite being ushered onto her next media engagement for the day. The impact of her achievements at the age of 22 is plain to see.
A stepping stone to the big stage…
The day began with the U17 and national events. Intertwining events like these into a meet with record attempts helps to provide a platform for upcoming stars to get used to bigger crowds and major events.
But it’s not just a useful developmental opportunity for these athletes. To race at the same meeting as some of Britain’s best is awe-inspiring. The hope is it will help keep younger athletes in the sport in a demographic where participation dwindles.
Giving the U17 and national athletes this exposure helps fans become acquainted with them. Interview and autograph requests are something many of them have never been exposed to. This provides a chance for spectators to see their personality and become invested in their journey as they progress through the ranks.
Crowd engagement
We’ve all seen a team mascot take part in a challenge at a sporting event. Whether it be pre-game or half-time at a football match, or the Olympic mascot causing chaos on the BBC. Remember Hero the Hedgehog during the London 2017 World Athletics Champs?
Well, the Keely Klassic put their own spin on this with ‘Beat the Pro’. This race saw a member of the crowd go head-to-head with Wolverine. Wolverine, who’s true identity has not been revealed, was set off approximately 80m behind crowd volunteer, Declan.
Declan’s job was simple: to keep Wolverine behind him for 400m in order to win a bag full of Keely Klassic and Nike merchandise. His attempt had the arena on its feet, with dramatic music blaring from the speakers. As if timed to perfection, Declan kept a nose ahead of Wolverine in one of the closest finishes of the day…
The atmosphere generated by ‘Beat the Pro’ was only amplified by the in-field DJ, DJ Tony, and the host. Throughout the day there was continual crowd engagement, dance contests, and challenges to get spectators bouncing and bridge the gap from the track to the grandstands.
The record attempts
The volume inside the Utilita Arena was off the scale by the time the elite races began. The timetable was carefully crafted so the day gradually built up to the record attempts by some of Britain’s best, as well as treating spectators to some top field eventers through the day.
The Keely Klassic made the decision to move away from qualification standards as its main focus. Instead it was about records and winners. Of course, some athletes were going for qualification standards for the European Indoors, but the selling point of this event was to watch records fall. To be a part of history.
Despite Keely herself being injured, the day culminated with an afternoon of British Record attempts. The athletes going for the records were announced on social media prior to the day, with special graphics, personalised numbers and dedicated dressing rooms for the athletes on race day.
After breaking the British Record over 300m, Lina Neilsen said: “Honestly, it’s an amazing atmosphere. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it’s so fun.
“I’ve got my own dressing room, which is great!
“As female athletes especially, we love to feel glam, we love to feel like we’re ready to go out an put on a show, which is what this is, so to have that preparation, I loved it.
“And it helped put me in a confident mindset, which is really important, so I knew it was within my reach today.”
This all fed into the expectation and excitement in Birmingham. Record breakers were rewarded with a crown and throne in the middle of the stadium, and roars followed from the crowd, highlighting the passion collected in the arena. Talking to the person next to you become nearly impossible.
The collective volume only increased as the day finished with the women’s 1500m, with Georgia Hunter-Bell coming agonisingly close to the British Record. Despite the crowd being young, it’s clear they knew they had witnessed a special afternoon.
Hunter-Bell said: “They [the crowd] were really helpful, coming round you really felt like everyone was behind you, which is really nice.
“We came close, but I’d have run a lot slower if the crowd weren’t there!”
Did the Keely Klassic reignite the athletics spark?
The first edition of the Keely Klassic had mixed reviews. The spectator experience was undoubtedly a good one, and one that will stick in young families’ minds, hopefully drawing them to more athletics events. The value of bringing in new fans to the sport is priceless.
Speaking in the mixed zone, Hodgkinson said: “I’ve loved meeting everyone, seeing them have a good time, seeing the stadium get more full up.
“There’s so many young boys and girls here which is really great. Overall, I think it’s been a positive day!
“The idea behind it was legacy. We want it to carry on hopefully for longer, when I’m retired.
“This is our first year, we want to take back from the audience what they liked, what they didn’t like. Their opinion is as important as ours.
“And yeah, hopefully it can get bigger and bigger and we can showcase the talent we have globally.”
But existing fans were not as drawn to the event, and the arena had plenty of empty seats. DJ Tony and the in-field host certainly engaged the crowd, but it could be argued that it pulled too much attention away from what was happening on the track.
Additionally, the timetabling of the day meant all the record attempts happened in the final hour of the day. Would it be better for the momentum of the event to have these interspersed through the day instead? Could this prevent spectators arriving late for only the elite action?
Where does the Keely Klassic go from here?
Given the overall success of the event, it is evident there’s a gap in the athletics scene for events of this nature. Ones that pull young fans into the sport. Ones that target exciting records everyone can appreciate, as opposed to breaking barriers that only seasoned athletics statisticians can appreciate.
The next move for the Keely Klassic is surely to cement itself in the calendar, year-on-year. For a lot of the fans there, they will want to return in 2026. The hype that was generated around the athletes, and memories made as they collected autographs and selfies was unforgettable to witness.
Hopefully the in-person experience works as a self-perpetuating cycle. Word of mouth about the event could lead to more ticket sales, and eventually higher profits to reinvest into the event itself.
But 12 months is a long time. There is most definitely an argument for staging something sooner. Could an outdoor version to remind fans and refresh their experience in the summer months be the answer? The Sport City Arena in Manchester seems an ideal locale, being Hodgkinson’s home city, as well as a fantastic facility.
