By Paul Snyder
February 19, 2025
Less than a week out from the Keely Klassic—Keely Hodgkinson’s first foray into meet-hosting, a billed attempt at the indoor 800m world record, and a bold push to attract a more youthful audience to the sport—calamity struck (or was it kalamity?). Hodgkinson was forced to pull out of her own eponymous meet with a hamstring injury. For just about any other singular-athlete-focused track meet out there, the removal of said star from the start list would be catastrophic (Katostrophic?).
Yet even without competing, merely lending her name to a track meet made it a must-attend event for the fine young people of Birmingham. By most accounts, the Keely-less Klassic was still a rousing success. There was still exciting racing—Georgia Bell continued her hot streak, winning the 1500m in 4:00.63 and the men’s 1000m was rock solid—and there was a DJ that people seemed to enjoy. But make no mistake: this meet worked because, even relegated to the sidelines, Keely is Keely. (No efforts will be made to rename next year’s installment the “Bell’s Ball” or “The Georgia Gala,” mispronouncing the g-word of your choice for alliterative purposes.)
Hodgkinson, the reigning 800m Olympic gold medalist, is the sort of celebrity in the United Kingdom that contemporary American track fans might have a hard time comprehending. She was named the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2024—an award that has also recently been won by the likes of Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton and tennis’s Andy Murray. Her off-track activities are breathlessly chronicled by the notorious British tabloid press. And something like 13% of the population of the UK tuned in specifically to watch her compete in the Olympic final.
Just because American track stars have a harder time capturing national attention doesn’t mean that this is not a remotely replicable model here in the States. But at the same time, any American Olympic gold medalists reading should not necessarily assume that they can personally save the sport.
Here’s what it does mean: there’s a clear appetite for doing things differently that extends beyond a whole new racing circuit or an off-year Super-Duper Very Cool Ultimate Championship. One-off meets do still have value in the track and field calendar if done correctly, strategically, and effortfully.
The World Athletics Indoor Tour isn’t quite the “stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen” of track circuits but it’s… uh… not exactly catching on in the American track consciousness. Internationally, track and field athletics has a lot less trouble breaking through in the mainstream than here in the United States. But it’s still worth trying new things: the reality that the U.S. is a huge, wealthy country with an eager audience of potential consumers, and any broader gains track and field makes globally likely hinge on capturing a greater slice of the American attention pie.
And while it’s fun to look across the pond for inspiration to a nation that’s long embraced track and field in a way we simply don’t, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Though Team USA is lousy with Olympic medalists and world record holders, none of them currently command the sort of broader cultural attention of someone like Keely Hodgkinson in the UK. Maybe, just maybe, a Sha’Carri Showdown or a Sydney Smash or a Trials of Lyles moves the needle, but the real takeaway is that enterprising meet directors should take a look at the calendar, find a quiet weekend, and try and peel some professional athletes away from their local college track with some cash and a spotlight.
When it comes to spicing up the indoor meet schedule, there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. WWE-style walkouts? Let’s do it. Celebrity guests? Sure! Pole vault in the Mall of America? Why not. It’s a long season, and simply offering up a certified meet to secure World standards doesn’t put butts in seats or toes on the start line. So why not think outside the box, inside our own backyard?
Paul Snyder
Paul Snyder is the 2009 UIL District 26-5A boys 1600m runner-up. You can follow him on Bluesky @snuder.bsky.social.
