COUNTDOWN IS ON TO IRISH INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2010

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 6th-7th February this year.

With only two days until entries close (Friday 22nd 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.

Saturday 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 £45.00! Order now from the Athletics Northern Ireland office or through their online shop or grab a 10% discount for group bookings of 15 or more.

This is the seventh 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. Once again upwards of 1000 athletes will be participating, representing a mixture of local and international competitors.

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 World Indoor Championships in Qatar 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 World Champion Christine Ohuruogu, 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 4x100 relay team from Athens.

A welcome return 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 4:00pm on Saturday and 1:00pm on Sunday. The event will be shown on RTE.

Applications are now open for the press to apply for accreditation to the event. Interested members of the media should download the relevant forms from the event website and send to Clare McCoy, Marketing & Communications Manager at Athletics NI- marketing@niathletics.org or contact 02890 602707. Please also enquire for great sponsorship opportunities available to all businesses and organisations across the country including programme advertising and branding. 

Access to the arena will be by ticket or athlete pass only! NO COACH passes will be available, there is simply not enough room in the warm-up and surrounding area so please do not request. Senior registration will be through the Main Entrance at the front of the Odyssey rather than at the back as previously was the case.

Further athlete information will be available soon.