It’s the most important week of the British Athletics calendar, as those used to pulling on world and olympic medals are tasked with pulling back on their club vests and fighting for their seat on the plane to September’s World Championships in Tokyo.

Though major names such as reigning Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson MBE and 400m Silver medalist Matthew Hudson-Smith are missing, the stars of British track and field will descend on Birmingham. 

The most compelling story of the weekend focusses on the entry of Georgia Hunter-Bell into the 800m and 1500m. The Olympic 1500m Bronze medalist from Paris has impressed over the 800m this season highlighted by a storming win at the London Diamond League 2 weeks ago in a time of 1:56.74. 

Hunter-Bell was open post race about her potential ambition to toe the line in both races at the World Championships “It’s a good problem to have - the 1500m is such a crazy event right now with some super fast times and so the 800m is looking the weaker event this season - thankfully, the tokyo time table allows the opportunity to double up if I decide to”

“I’ve been responding really well to the 800m training, seeing big changes there and the 800m races have gone very well. I feel positive and excited - I’m counting my blessings for being healthy.” 

In the 800m Hunter-Bell will be up against the likes of former European u20 gold medalist Isabelle Boffey, World Indoor Siver Medalist Jemma Reekie, recent European U23 bronze Medalist Abigail Ives as well as training partner and rising young star Jessica Lark.

In the 1500m she will also be joined by Lark as well as fellow training partners Ava Lloyd and Erin Wallace. 2023 World Championship finalist Katie Snowden also toes the line with 6-time European  indoor and current Commonwealth Games champion Laura Muir continuing her return from injury. 

The women’s 100m and 200m are filled with international medalists. Daryll Neita will go in as favourite in the 100 with the likes of Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, Desiree Henry and Kissiwa Mensah providing stiff competition.

In the 200m Dina Asher-Smith headlines another strong line up. The 2019 World Champion has begun showing form but has World Relays star Success Eduan and an ever improving Amy Hunt to look out for. 

In the Men’s 400m defending Diamond League champion Charlie Dobson looks to continue his incredible start to the season. The Colchester Harrier took a storming win against Matthew Hudson Smith in London clocking a personal best of 44.14 and is odds on favourite to take the national title. He will be challenged by relay Olympic medalist Alex Haydock-Wilson and Toby Harries. Newly crowned member of the 45 second club Lee Thompson of City of Sheffield will look to also lay down a marker in what has been a strong season for the 28 year old. 

The men’s 1500m also looks to be a fiery affair, no Josh Kerr, we will get onto him later, but still a stacked line up. Elliot Giles will look to banish the demons from last years championships which saw him tangled in the final 100m of the 800m with Kerr who was only running in the event to fulfil his contractual obligations having already qualified for the olympics following his world championship win and meeting the qualifying time to cause Giles to miss out on the chance to go to Paris. 

In the men's 5000m Josh Kerr will toe the line having gained automatic qualification to Tokyo with his 1500m title in Budapest 2 years ago. Alfie Manthorpe looks to continue a strong season and keep an eye out for 22-year-old Will Barnicoat. The European U23 Cross Country champion is staking his claim as a senior athlete this year and will look to make an impact.

2022 World Champion Jake Wightman continues to build into an impressive season alongside World Indoor Silver Medalist Neil Gourley.

In the field Katarina Johnson Thompson will take on the Javelin Throw following competing in the long jump in London, she will be joined by olympian Hollie Arnold and 17-year-old Harriet Wheeler will look to make an impression on a national stage. 

Johnson Thompson will also be joined by fellow Heptathletes Jade O’Dowda and Abigail Pawlett.

O’Dowda will also compete in the Long Jump where the story of the season could be unfolding. Jazmin Sawyers has made a remarkable return from an achilles injury and will be looking to claim back her national title. The 2023 European Indoor champion qualified for the World Championships in just her third meeting back. 

Winners in each event will qualify for the World Championships if they also meet the UKA Standards.