With just 100 days to go until the start of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24, the Local Organising Committee has confirmed that the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) will bring an exhibition to Glasgow to enable the local community and visitors alike to engage fully with the event and learn more about the history of the number one Olympic sport.
The announcement was made during a visit of World Athletics key staff, in Glasgow as part of the event planning process and to see the progress being made for themselves.
The MOWA Indoor Athletics Exhibition at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 will celebrate more than 170 years of indoor track and field athletics, featuring the museum’s indoor athletics collection of competition artefacts dating from the 1880s to 2023.
The magnificent displays contain clothing, shoes, equipment, trophies and medals donated by more than 30 world champions and record breakers, with supporting video, photographs and text. During the championships themselves, 1 to 3 March, visitors to the exhibition can even step into the metaverse using Virtual Reality Headsets to explore the MOWA’s online 3D museum platform.
Located on the ground floor at the St Enoch Centre in the centre of Glasgow, an opening ceremony will take place on the evening of Friday 2 February. The exhibition will be free to attend and open throughout the day from Saturday 3 February to Sunday 3 March inclusive, with exact opening times to be confirmed closer to the event.
Bringing a Scottish twist to proceedings, joining the MOWA in the centre will be Commonwealth Games Scotland who on the first floor will stage The Team Scotland Exhibition celebrating 10 years on since the incredible success of the team at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Focusing on the stories of the Scottish athletes who competed in track and field, the spotlight will also shine on the memories of the officials, volunteers and spectators who were there. The atmosphere of the Games will be brought back to life through audio, visuals and items representing iconic moments of the Games which had such a profound impact on the city and Scotland as a whole.
Plans are also being developed for a programme of activities and a fan activation area.
Announcing the exhibition, Championships Director Stuart Campbell said: “We are delighted to be working with MOWA to bring this exciting exhibition to Glasgow as part of our World Athletics Indoor Championships city activation plans.
“Glasgow has a proven track record in hosting major international events and is committed to using them to encourage participation in sport and physical activity, ensuring the positive impact of events benefits local communities.
“The exhibitions are centrally located just a short walk from official hotels and key transport hubs, and we aim to create a real buzz in the city for everyone to get involved regardless of whether they have a ticket for the event or not.”
Proud to be involved, Jon Doig OBE, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland and Team Scotland Chef de Mission at Glasgow 2014, added: “The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was not only a fabulous Games and a successful one for Team Scotland, but it engaged the country like nothing else I have ever experienced.
“It also laid the foundation for the many other major international sports events that Scotland, and Glasgow in particular, has hosted since and it will be wonderful to celebrate and mark 10 years on as part of this exhibition.
“Scottish athletes have contributed some of the greatest moments to both the Commonwealth Games and the World Championships, so we see this as a fitting opportunity to be working alongside MOWA.”
Christina McKelvie, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, said: “We’re very excited about the fact there is now only 100 days to go until the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships starts in Glasgow.
“Following on from successfully hosting the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2019, this is the first time this event has been held in Scotland.
“It also comes soon after the recent successful delivery of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. This event will be the perfect platform for the world’s greatest athletes to showcase their supreme talents right on our doorstep.
“So the countdown continues to the start of this eagerly awaited event and I’m certain it will reinforce Scotland’s reputation as a suitable stage to host major events.”
