Punk Padel and Tough Mudder: It pays for sports to buy into fun innovation Sport Business I am happy to go down any rabbit hole, or country lane, in search of innovation in sport. Driving back from a trail race the other day, I passed a small sign tucked on a grassy verge in deepest Sussex. “Punk Padel”, it seemed to whisper rather than shout, as if conscious it was out [...]
‘Quite insane’: Inside the World’s Deepest Marathon, 1km underground Sport Business This weekend 60 amateur runners will try to become the first to complete a marathon almost a mile underground in a Swedish mine. We spoke to one from the City of London to ask: why? “I’ll try and show you what it’s like down here,” says the man in the video, his view of the [...]
UK Athletics posts profit for first time since 2017 Sport Business UK Athletics has hailed a financial turnaround after going from a deficit of £1.2m to a surplus of £107,000 – its first since 2017. The accounts for the year to March 31 2025 saw losses slashed just three years after the track and field governing body appeared to be on the brink of bankruptcy. UK [...]
London hailed as global capital for women’s sport as 1.4m visit October 8, 2025 London has been hailed as a global epicentre for women’s sport after the Red Roses, Queen’s Club, the Lionesses and athletics all contributed to 1.4m fans attending events in the capital. Nearly 82,000 fans packed in to Allianz Stadium in Twickenham last month to watch England beat Canada to win a first Women’s Rugby World [...]
Athletics rocked as Laura Muir’s former coach banned for serious misconduct September 30, 2025 UK Athletics has pledged further “significant culture change” after Laura Muir’s former coach Andrew Young was banned for three years for serious misconduct. Young was found guilty of nine counts of misconduct, seven of them serious, at both a disciplinary hearing last year and then an appeal earlier this summer. He was criticised for putting [...]
Why Ryder Cup is commercial gold and other sports have failed to copy it September 25, 2025 If the Ryder Cup didn’t exist, could you create it today? After all, this is an event that bends an individual sport into a collective enterprise, is rarely won by the away team, and hasn’t produced a close contest for 13 years. It also sees a roster of golfers playing for love pitted against another [...]
Grand Slam Track denies Michael Johnson banked $2m from series September 17, 2025 Grand Slam Track has called “categorically false” suggestions that founder Michael Johnson earned $2m while competitors in the challenger athletics series went unpaid. The organisation, which is facing possible legal claims from athletes totalling $19m (£14m), said that Johnson had in fact invested $2m of his own money into the cash-strapped venture. Grand Slam Track [...]
Tokyo has another bite at athletics cherry – will fandom blossom? September 11, 2025 If you’re an athletics fan, time to perfect your “work from home” excuses as the World Championships begin in Tokyo tomorrow. If you live west of Japan, that spells disrupted sleep patterns and unproductive days as medals are won in Tokyo nights. These Championships are part reward for a local populace twice denied the chance [...]
Great North Run chiefs sorry for putting Sunderland not Newcastle on medals September 8, 2025 It wasn’t just the competitors left with red faces at yesterday’s Great North Run after organisers were forced to apologise for depicting Sunderland instead of Newcastle on medals. Many of the 60,000 entrants were quick to point out the mistake, which also appeared on finishers’ T-shirts at the popular half-marathon, and Great Run Company chiefs [...]
Is gene testing the best way forward for World Athletics? September 6, 2025 This week World Athletics has reintroduced gene testing for all athletes competing in female categories at world ranking events. The move is framed as a means of ensuring fairness in competition and protecting women competing in the female category. But is this truly in the best interests of the athletes it affects? Gender eligibility in [...]