{"id":22337,"date":"2023-03-25T13:36:23","date_gmt":"2023-03-25T13:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/25\/innovative-podium-5k-continues-to-strike-right-chord-aw\/"},"modified":"2023-03-25T13:36:23","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T13:36:23","slug":"innovative-podium-5k-continues-to-strike-right-chord-aw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/25\/innovative-podium-5k-continues-to-strike-right-chord-aw\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Podium 5k continues to strike right chord – AW"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Collaboration with SportsShoes has paid dividends with events becoming more popular, regular and crucially engaging<\/h5>\n

An athletics event at a go-kart track, four levels underground below the main shopping centre at Canary Wharf, shouldn\u2019t theoretically work.<\/p>\n

Given the Epic Karting circuit in Docklands had an abundance of tight turns, the surface was designed for rubber tyres rather than shoes\u00a0and the venue contained no natural light, the setting, was peculiar to say the least.<\/p>\n

If you, however, add a swathe of marketing \u2013 from a myriad of photos to slick social media cutdowns \u2013 to create hype, invite one of London\u2019s most prominent DJs and crucially award prize money \u2013 \u00a31000 for first, \u00a3500 for second and \u00a3300 for third \u2013 for podium spots, it can definitely work.<\/p>\n

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At tonight\u2019s @podium5k<\/a> Underground event in Canary Wharf, there is live music all night \ud83c\udfb5<\/p>\n

Making running really cool \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/EXBbWIRQBz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 17, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

After covering the event last week (March 17), I got back home thinking it had.<\/p>\n

The average age of those who attended almost certainly didn\u2019t exceed 30. That wasn\u2019t just the runners but those who flocked down to watch. Some might have not even known who was racing but with live music bouncing off the walls around the venue and a bar in the background, it didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

People enjoyed themselves because the behind the scenes side of the event was as good as the action they watched.<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t to say the standard was bad. European Indoor 1500m silver medallist from 2021, Holly Archer, was the leading contender in the women\u2019s race. She lost out to a superb Megan Davies in a close-run finish to the line.<\/p>\n

Double British 3000m steeplechase champion Zak Seddon, coached by Geoff Wightman, claimed the plaudits in the men\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

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Zak Seddon collects his \u00a31k top prize (Simon Roberts)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt was really cool. It sounded really loud with the music. There was so much noise and it was a really great atmosphere and it wasn\u2019t like anything else I\u2019ve seen,\u201d\u00a0Davies told\u00a0AW.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe event is completely different and I really enjoyed it. I hope so [if there are more events] and it\u2019s changing the way the sport looks. It can be really easy to focus on times all the time so it\u2019s really cool to come to an event where that\u2019s not the importance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seddon\u2019s reflection of the spectacle was along the same lines.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe atmosphere was unreal. Everyone I spoke to was just enjoying themselves and the sport,\u201d he added.\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s what\u2019s so good about these events. You\u2019re just running hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the time in the season where you\u2019re not going after fast track times and just putting out a base.\u00a0So to come out here and just really enjoy yourself, it\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s really cool to do something where times are just not important.\u201d <\/p>\n

Megan Davies won the women\u2019s final at last night\u2019s @podium5k<\/a> Underground event in Canary Wharf \ud83e\udd47<\/p>\n

She is full of praise for the innovative idea \ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f @TimAdams76<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wqtFsnrHPX<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 18, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Other athletes I chatted to echoed the same message. This was different. In a good way.<\/p>\n

The fact that it was an event where times were insignificant and the primary focus was to claim the highest prize money was a refreshing change, in a sport where the stopwatch can get far more attention than rivalries and storytelling.<\/p>\n

Those who watched from the sidelines were allowed to move around different sections of the circuit and although the racing environment was surreal, the view by the start\/finish line was excellent and you could see athletes meander their way through the course.<\/p>\n

The distance of approximately 2.5km didn\u2019t seem to be too strenuous while the format of heats to finals worked, although the quality of athletes in the heats differed drastically at times.<\/p>\n

Above all though, the reaction on social media was mightily impressive.<\/p>\n

Podium 5k focused on drawing in a raft of photographers, videographers and cinematographers to encapsulate not just the action but the wider event itself.<\/p>\n

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Zak Seddon crosses the line (Simon Roberts)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

That kind of marketing, where buzz centred around the behind the scenes aspect, as well as athletes, is crucial for athletics to not just survive but thrive.<\/p>\n

In their own unique way, Podium 5k have so far achieved that.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a surprise that the videos I took on our\u00a0AW\u00a0<\/i>social media channels exceeded 170,000 views. To put that into perceptive, 250,000 people watched our videos on social media over three days at the European Indoor Championships.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was great fun, course had more grip than expected and the racing line became a key part of the race,\u201d commented Ben Short, who competed in the event, on AW\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>Instagram. \u201cBrilliant spectator sport as can see the racers multiple times per lap and Podium 5k always know how to put on a show. Bring on the next one!\u201d<\/p>\n

Other messages varied from \u201cthis is awesome, some fantastic ideas coming through\u201d to \u201cwould be even better if they had bananas, speed boosters like Mario Kart\u201d.<\/p>\n

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The crowd watch on at Podium 5k (Simon Roberts)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The main thought people had from Podium 5k\u2019s Underground event, whatever their view on whether it was a success or not, was that it was innovative.<\/p>\n

It created conversation around the sport, when on occasions athletics can feel stale and too repetitive.<\/p>\n

Podium 5k\u2019s events in the past few months have included a 5km race at Battersea Park and the Breaking 10 event in Barrowford, the latter seeing Emile Cairess break Richard Nerurkar\u2018s 30-year-old European 10-mile record.<\/p>\n

The crowds are not anywhere near that of a Diamond League or a Continental Tour Gold event but by hammering home social media content, Podium 5k have reached hundreds of thousands of young people who will be inspired by their ability to make running look attractable and worthwhile.<\/p>\n

Night of the 10,000m PBs is another example. The event, set-up by Ben Pochee in 2013 was initially created for faster running in the 10,000m but it has grown rapidly and is one of the most much loved events on the athletics calendar in the UK.<\/p>\n

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This year’s @NightOf10kPBs<\/a> will feature four 800m races for under-20 and under-17 women and men \ud83c\udfc3\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83c\udfc3\u200d\u2642\ufe0f<\/p>\n

They will get to experience an electric atmosphere in Highgate + target qualifying times for junior major champs \ud83d\udca5https:\/\/t.co\/ty0AnUtxa5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 25, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A combination of free entry and entertainment \u2013 including pyrotechnics and beer scales \u2013 plus athlete interaction with spectators you don\u2019t find at an elite level, gives a feel of inclusivity for all those attending.<\/p>\n

The athletes also get the opportunity to record fast qualifying times over a variety of distances. This year\u2019s meet<\/a> once again features\u00a0British Championships and World Championships trials for the 10,000m with a total of \u00a330,000 in prize money up for grabs.<\/p>\n

No surprise then that On Running have incorporated it into their Track Night series which includes similar meets in Los Angeles, Paris, Vienna and Melbourne.<\/p>\n

The financial aspect to making athletics desirable is obvious. By providing prize money at events for runners, who sometimes just run as a hobby and work in other jobs, it creates a clear incentive to race in the event. Win it and there\u2019s even the prospect of a sponsorship deal.<\/p>\n

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Someone films on their phone (Simon Roberts)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By amplifying all of this messaging on social media makes a difference. With Gen Z \u2013 people born between 1997-2012 \u2013 consuming their content so vividly on Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok, you have to take what you\u2019ve produced to them. They shouldn\u2019t be expected to look for it themselves.<\/p>\n

Days after the Podium 5k Underground event had finished, pictures and videos from the event were still being pumped out on social media. You would\u2019ve struggled to miss it.<\/p>\n

Alone, Podium 5k cannot change the perception of the sport. That\u2019s the job of a global behind the scenes series on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Yet, they are making an impact. The market for athletics in the UK, from just the level of engagement on our social channels, is huge. Young people will compete and watch if something is marketed well.<\/p>\n

Change and innovation should be applauded and not frowned upon. Athletics needs to catch up with other sports. And fast.<\/p>\n

\u00bb <\/b>Subscribe to AW magazine here<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n