Fire delays British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham

A fire at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham has delayed the start of the 2025 Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships by one hour. The incident occurred on Saturday morning, prompting the evacuation of the arena approximately 90 minutes before the scheduled start time. West Midlands Fire Service responded, confirming that the fire was contained to a fryer in a kitchen and that there were no reported injuries. Despite the evacuation, British Athletics has assured that the championships will proceed, with events now set to begin at 12:25 PM. Notable athletes such as Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Laura Muir are among those competing this weekend, which also serves as the British trials for the upcoming European Athletics Indoor Championships. The fire brigade has since cleared the scene, allowing preparations to resume for the event.