from the AAI The countdown is on for one of the biggest events in the Irish Athletics calendar, the Woodie’s DIY Irish Indoor Athletic Championships at the Odyssey Arena Belfast on 7th-8th February this year. Irish Indoor Championships
With only two weeks until entries close (Friday 23rd January), the promoters (Athletics NI & Athletics Ireland) are calling for athletes to either enter online or download the form now from the event website at www.indoorathletics.net.
Friday 23rd is also the cut-off date for the promotional ticket price offer available to all affiliated athletic clubs and members throughout Ireland. Tickets start at just £7.00 (concession) while a family ticket (2 adults & 2 children) for the weekend is only an incredible £39.00! Order now from the Athletics Northern Ireland office or grab a 10% discount for group bookings of 15 or more.
Furthermore, anyone who purchases tickets from the Athletics NI office before 23rd January will receive a FREE ENTRY into the prize draw for two tickets to the Aviva Indoor Grand Prix on 21 February in Birmingham. Athletes in the Republic will also benefit from entering online/purchasing tickets due to the favourable rate of the sterling in the North.
This is the sixth Irish Indoors meeting in the North which has been made possible by the generous assistance of title sponsor Woodie’s DIY and funding partners Belfast City Council and Sport Northern Ireland. Once again upwards of 1000 athletes will be participating, representing a mixture of local and international competitors from Ireland, UK, USA, Spain and Slovakia to name a few.
The landmark Odyssey Arena, which is the flagship of the Harbour Estate and Titanic Quarter hosts Ireland’s only indoor hydraulic 200-metre running track. It will once again be transformed into a showcase for top class athletics from around the world, for the exciting weekend of entertainment and fun for all the family.
This year competition for places on the Irish Team for the European Indoor Championships in Turin will be hotly contested and local Irish athletes will be vying for their place at the Odyssey Arena.
Top class international athletes have attended the event for the last number of years including Decathlon World Record Holder and Olympic Gold medalist Roman Sebrle in 2007 & 2008, Olympic long jumper John Moffitt and Darren Campbell and Mark Lewis Francis who were members of the Great Britain Olympic Gold Medal 4×100 relay team from Athens.
Already confirmed for 2009 is Ireland’s top sprinter Paul Hession and walkers Robert Heffernan and Olive Loughnane, all who ranked in the top 10 in the world at the close of last year.
A welcome addition to the Irish Indoor sponsor list is hotel partner, the Premier Inn Belfast who have two great hotels offering excellent accommodation within close walking distance of the Odyssey Arena and a friendly Belfast welcome. To avail of the special rates exclusive to this event log on to www.indoorathletics.net/accommodation.
The event also incorporates the “Olympic Flames’ Age Group Championships and also the ‘Search for a Star’ Primary School Initiative with children from across the province participating in a grand final. In the build up to the Olympics we are actively targeting the next generation of school children to provide them with maximum inspiration and opportunity to become aspiring young athletes.
The dedicated Indoors website provides all competitors and spectators information on the event including the schedule, accommodation, athlete profiles, photo gallery and of course the facility to enter online. Visit www.indoorathletics.net
Action gets under way at 4:30pm on Saturday and 1:00pm on Sunday. The event will be shown on RTE on Monday 9th February. Tickets available at the Odyssey Box Office after Friday 23rd January at full price.