Sprinters at Arena Birmingham (© Getty Images)
Today marks 30 days to go until the start of the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018, to be staged from 1-4 March, and hosted for the second time in the UK's second largest city.
According to preliminary figures, a total of 767 athletes – 429 men and 338 women – from 154 federations will compete, making the 17th edition of the IAAF's second largest competition one of the biggest ever.
Although there will be a slight reduction in numbers between the preliminary entries and final participants, the championships are on target to become the largest in more than two decades, since the 1997 edition in Paris attended by 712 athletes. Additionally, only once, when athletes from 171 countries participated at the 2012 championships in Istanbul, have more member federations fielded teams.
The IAAF is also delighted to announce the launch of the IAAF Inside Athletics Podcast, which debuts today.
Among the guests in the inaugural edition are world high jump champion and 2017 World athlete of the year Mutaz Essa Barshim, world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri and Christian Coleman, the world 100m silver medallist, who have all indicated that the upcoming World Indoor Championships figure prominently in their 2018 plans.
IAAF
