World-class athletics to return to North East as Gateshead to host Diamond League meeting

The International Stadium has been selected as the venue for the showpiece Diamond League meeting for the next two years with Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium undergoing refurbishment.

“It’s brilliant to be returning to the North East. We know from previous events how passionate their spectators are and how much they appreciate and respect the heritage of the sport,” said British Athletics Major Events Director Cherry Alexander.

“The venue has proved time and time again it can host world-class athletics and international championships, so we know we’re going to have a great experience working with them once again.”

Gateshead hosted the first Diamond League event to take place in the UK nine years ago as Phillips Idowu won the men’s triple jump, future Olympic champions Eliud Kipchoge and Mo Farah contested the 5000m and Tyson Gay beat Asafa Powell in the 100m.

Powell went on to equal the 100m world record at Gateshead in 2006 in a time of 9.77, while the women’s pole vault world record has been broken three times at the stadium, by Daniela Bartova in 1995 and then twice by Yelena Isinbayeva, in 2003 and 2004.

Gateshead is the only venue to have held the European Athletics Team Championships on three occasions – in 1989, 2000 and 2013.

The most recent major event to be held at the International Stadium was the European Team Championships six years ago.

A new track is expected to be laid over the coming months.