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The Novuna UK Athletics Championships will take place in Birmingham in 2025, with the high-stakes event set to be hosted by the Alexander Stadium for the first time in four years.
The British national finals, which will run from August 2nd to 3rd, will crown champions across all Olympic disciplines and will also critically serve as selection trials for the eagerly anticipated World Athletics Championships in September.
Ahead of what should be a thrilling showdown in England’s second city, we’ve previewed the 2025 UK Athletics Championships and analysed recent form, betting markets and the names to watch across the two-day event.
2025 UK Athletics Championships: The Headline Names
Men’s 100m – Louie Hinchliffe
Arguably the marquee name in UK men’s sprints at present, Sheffield-born Louie Hinchliffe has burst onto the national stage in recent years and he looks primed to make a big impact in Birmingham.
In 2024, Hinchliffe clocked a time of 9.95 to win the NCAA title stateside ahead of a competitive field, becoming the first European sprinter to do so.
He followed that up by claiming the 100m title at the 2024 UK Athletics Championships in Manchester before anchoring GB to bronze in the 4x100m relay at the Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old has been setting a high bar, so expect him to lead the pack again in Birmingham, where gold is a genuine possibility again.
Women’s 100m – Joy Eze and Alyson Bell
There are a couple of intriguing young talents to keep a close eye on in the women’s 100m, meanwhile.
Joy Eze finished as runner-up at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championship 60m earlier this year with a superb time of 7.19 and the 21-year-old from Newcastle, also ran an 11.35-second 100m in 2024.
Scot Alyson Bell, who is the current 200m Scottish indoor champion, has also shown top-end acceleration in recent meetings and she was a gold medallist at the 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships in Bergen with Team GB in the 4×100 metres relay.
Eze and Bell have the talent and form to make a splash in Birmingham.
Men’s 400m – Matthew Hudson‑Smith
A serial medal-collecting veteran with serious pedigree, Matthew Hudson‑Smith remains the benchmark for one-lap racing in Britain.
In 2024, he broke the European 400m record twice—most memorably 43.74 in London—and took Olympic silver in Paris with a blistering 43.44, making it the sixth-fastest Olympic race ever.
Hudson‑Smith has few peers domestically and arrives in Birmingham pursuing what should be a straightforward national title. On race day, expect his prices on online betting sites UK to reflect his domestic dominance.
Men’s & Women’s 800m / 1500m – Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Bell, Thomas Keen
The middle-distance ranks in Birmingham should be some of the most competitive at the event. Keely Hodgkinson, Olympic 800m champion in Paris and 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, looked set to target an indoor world record in early 2025 in her own named “Keely Klassic” event—but a hamstring injury forced her withdrawal.
Still, she remains a champion-level contender at 800m outdoors and is likely to be the favourite in betting markets.
In the 1500m and 3000m, Georgia Bell has strong credentials—an Olympic bronze medallist over 1500m and a multi-event entry— the 31-year-old has more experience than most.
In the men’s, 24-year-old Thomas Keen looks like a backable prospect as a slight outsider in the 1500m. Keen ran a PB of 3:36:34 in the event in Australia in February 2024, and he finished second over the same distance at the British Indoors earlier this year.
Recent form and indoor season trends
Although the Indoor Championship back in February is largely a separate sphere, it did offer some clues around possible summer form.
Joy Eze finished runner-up in the women’s 60m at the UK Indoor Championships behind Bianca Williams and made the European Indoor semi-finals, running 7.20 to advance.
Innes FitzGerald, meanwhile, shattered the European U20 indoor 3000m record (8:40.05) and ran 8:32.90 outdoors in Stockholm, suggesting that she could be ready to stake a claim in longer distances at senior level.
Our picks, Hinchliffe and Bell were out of the reckoning for indoor 60m titles in February, however, their summer PBs and NCAA performances reinforce their form arc and a big improvement is expected from both in Birmingham.
2025: UK Athletics Championships betting angles
There will be plenty for punters to sink their teeth into at Birmingham. Here are some of the directions where the mart money might flow:
Men’s 100m: Hinchliffe should be the favourite here. The defending champion has Olympic final experience, multi-record runs and top recent form to draw confidence from.
Women’s 100m: Eze & Bell vs the rest. Eze’s indoor 60 form (7.19) makes her favourite, but Bell’s sprint speed hints at a possible upset. Perhaps the value bet could be Bell each way, given the margins at play.
Men’s 400m: Hudson‑Smith is the one to beat again. His world-class splits, home dominance and track craft should combine to earn him short odds, however. Charlie Dobson, the defending British champion in this even, is another name to consider.
Women’s 800m: Hodgkinson, if healthy, is the standout. Caution over her fitness may widen the market, creating some value in backing Georgia Bell. For punters surfing prices on online betting sites UK, look out for drifting odds closer to race time.
Women’s/men’s middle-distance: In the men’s 1500m, were doubling down on Thomas Keen. If Hodgkinson skips the 1500m double, defending champion Georgia Bell could be the best choice in the markets.
Factor in weekend schedule and pacing
The timetable for the 2025 UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham shows sprint finals scheduled early afternoon on both days (Aug 2 & 3), with middle-distance finals later on Sunday when factors like fatigue might come into play.
Athletes who can recover quickly between events and peak twice in two days could have an edge over their rivals. Confirmation of the event programme was issued in July, approximately a month ahead of the event.
2025 UK Athletics Championships: betting tips to take to markets
With World Championship selection on the line, Birmingham isn’t just domestic glory—it’s the gateway to the global stage.
Athletes who earn medals and impress are likely to cement places on the GB & NI team and influence national rankings, so expect competitors to bring their A-game to Birmingham.
Bettors should monitor fitness updates closely in the build-up to the Championships with last-minute additions, withdrawals and injury news likely to influence odds. Clued-in punters should be able to dig out extra value with the right knowledge.
Look to markets like the “each-way” and “top-3 finish” for the best value, especially when clear favourites like Keely Hodgkinson, Louie Hinchliffe and Matthew Hudson‑Smith are involved.
Middle and longer-distance races have a knack for producing more upsets than sprint events, which is another point to consider when browsing the markets.
