The Keely Klassic was ‘Klass’
By Michael Weadock, February 2025
It was not the news we were hoping for – Keely Hodgkinson having to withdraw from her own event with an injury. The much-hyped indoor event was set to feature the Olympic Champion looking to break the World Indoor Record over 800m. Without Keely competing, there was the potential for this new, innovative event to flop. But, instead it flew.
I was fortunate enough to be at The Keely Klassic covering the action for various radio stations. It was brilliant and although Keely wasn’t able to compete there was no shortage of brilliant performances on the track and in the field. Spectators saw two British records being broken – Lina Nielsen in the 300m and Neil Gourley in the 1000m. Afterwards I spoke with both athletes. Neil’s interview was ran by a couple of different radio stations in Scotland showing the wide appeal of the event and his achievement. My chat with Lina was interesting as she spoke about the need for athletes to build their own brand and use the various platforms available to them online to give sports fans a real insight into their lives, training and competition. I would really recommend Lina and Laviai Nielsen’s YouTube channel – and not just because I’ve featured on it a couple of times! They share some brilliant insights into their lives as elite athletes. The Keely Klassic is a natural extension of this with athletes put at the centre of the show.
And, it was a show. A DJ in the infield, athletes having dressing rooms and walk-on music and a schedule that allowed you to follow the big names that you had come to see. I described it on a special edition of the podcast as an immersive experience and organisers of the bigger athletics meetings in this country, along with other sports too, should look and learn at what the organisers of The Keely Klassic delivered on the day. Listen to the special edition of the podcast here:
But, without Keely competing, did it detract from the event? I would strongly argue that for the spectators, the experience was actually enhanced. Keely was really visible and available throughout the day. She posed for thousands of selfies, signed every autograph and could be seen in the stands and the concourses at various times. There was a real young crowd at the Utilita Arena and I would suggest that the interaction they got with Keely, the opportunity to meet her and see her up close was probably even more inspiring than if she had competed on the track. I remember as a young football fan going to a match and meeting Gary Lineker afterwards. I don’t remember the game, but I do remember the meeting and him signing my shirt.
Moving forward, I want to see more event organisers creating a spectacle – using their imagination and putting on a show. Of course, we need championships where there are a number of heats, semi-finals and a final to see who is the best in the country, continent or world, but we also need entertainment and access to our biggest stars and The Keely Klassic did exactly that.
