The UK Athletics Indoor Championships were delayed due to a fire. Birmingham’s Utilita Arena had to be evacuated on Saturday morning.
Firefighters responded after reports emerged of a blaze at the venue, sparking concern among athletes, officials and fans.
Preliminary investigations suggested that a cooker catching fire in a nearby flat may have triggered the incident.
The two-day event start was delayed by an hour. The meet began after a title of 90 minutes passed at 1:00 PM.
British Athletcs wrote, “The start of the 2025 Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships has been delayed by one hour, following an incident that required the evacuation of the Utilita Arena in Birmingham this morning, Saturday 22 February.
“A one-hour delay to the timetable has been agreed in order to allow athletes, officials and spectators adequate time to prepare for the day’s events. Saturday’s timetable of events is now expected to start at 12:25.
