UK Athletics Championships 2023 preview: Full schedule of competition and how to watch live action

The 2023 UK Athletics Championships and World Trials take place in the Manchester Regional Arena from 8-9 July.

As well as national titles, places at August's Budapest World Championships are at stake with the top two in each event securing berths to represent Great Britain, as long as they have achieved the qualifying standard. One additional place, making a maximum of three, will be decided by the Team GB selectors, again subject to qualifying standard criteria.

In line with UK Athletics' intention to "optimise medal success and the number of top eight placings", those standards have generally been set at tough levels meaning national titles may not ensure qualification.

Having won the men's 1500m at last year's Track and Field World Championships in Eugene, Jake Wightman has a 'Wildcard' for Budapest to defend his title, which means three more Britons are able to join him in the team for that event.

Find out who to watch and how to catch the action as Britain's finest track and field athletes compete in the shadow of Manchester City's football stadium.

Athletes to watch at 2023 UK Athletics Championships

Dina Asher-Smith

Since winning the women's 200m world title in 2019 in Doha, where she also took 100m silver, Dina Asher-Smith has been largely unable to repeat those heroics on the global stage.

A hamstring injury wrecked her Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021, although she was able to help the British women's 4x100m relay team to bronze.

Despite equalling her national record in the 100m final at Eugene last year, Asher-Smith could only take fourth as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Elaine Thompson-Herah swept the podium for Jamaica.

The Londoner then won 200m bronze behind Jackson and Fraser-Pryce in the European Championships in Munich, and took silver at the shorter sprint event, behind Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambundji.

Asher-Smith is entered for both distances in Manchester, and faces strong opposition from Olympic 100m finalist Daryll Neita who took European bronze in the short sprint last year.

The 27-year-old will be keen to see off her compatriot and claim both titles ahead of bidding for medals next month in Budapest.

Jake Wightman

Wightman stunned Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Eugene last August to become Britain's first middle-distance men's world champion since Steve Cram in 1983.

It was a famous triumph, with Wightman's father Geoff, a former marathon runner, also providing the in-stadium commentary.

With his place in Budapest already assured, the Nottingham-born Scot is entered for the 800m in Manchester having won European silver in the two-lap event last year.

A foot injury has ruled him out for most of the season, and his planned outdoor seasonal debut at last month's Paris Diamond League was shelved due to what he described on social media as a "minor setback".

But Wightman knows he has plenty of time to be reach peak fitness and defend his 1500m title in Hungary.

Keely Hodgkinson

After just failing to reel in Athing Mu in last year's World Championship final, Keely Hodgkinson took the European title and went to the Commonwealth Games as a hot favourite.

But things did not go to plan in Birmingham for Hodgkinson, as Kenya's Mary Moraa produced an extraordinary run - leading before dropping back at halfway before charging home - to deny the home favourite.

The three will almost certainly vye for gold in Budapest and Hodgkinson staked her claim with a superb outdoor debut at the Paris Diamond League, clocking 1:55.77 to take victory in a new national record.

Fellow Olympic finalists Jemma Reekie and Alex Bell will surely be battling for second place with the 21-year-old, who hails from nearby Wigan, a strong favourite to claim a third national title.

Zharnel Hughes

Zharnel Hughes will be among the star attractions in Manchester after breaking Linford Christie's 30-year-old British men's 100m record in New York late last month.

The 27-year-old was compared to his old training partner Usain Bolt when he switched allegiance in 2015 from the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla to representing Great Britain, Hughes is in the form of his life and his 9.83 seconds was the fastest time in the world this year.

False starts on the big occasion, including in the Olympic final at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, have set him back in the past, but this could be the season where he finally fulfills his promise and wins a first global individual medal.

Hughes is entered for both the 100m and 200m in Manchester with a view to doubling up in Budapest.

Other athletes to watch

Last year's world 1500m bronze medallist Laura Muir will defend her national title in Manchester before bidding for another global medal in Budapest.

After chasing home Faith Kipyegon again in Eugene, the Olympic silver medallist won the Commonwealth Games and European titles in fine style.

On her outdoor seasonal debut, Muir was a distant second in Florence as Kipyegon broke Ginzebe Dibaba's eight-year-old world record.

The men's 400m might be the hottest event on the track at the moment, but after winning world bronze, Commonwealth Games silver and European gold in 2022, Matthew Hudson-Smith will hope to remain in the top rank of one-lap specialists starting with victory in Manchester.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson produced her best heptathlon score since winning the 2019 world title at Götzis in May, but was a long way behind world bronze medallist Anna Hall.

The Liverpudlian, who started working under coach Aston Moore this year, will hope to show her wellbeing in four events in Manchester - the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, and 200m.

UK Athletics Championships 2023 schedule

All times local British Summer Time (GMT/UTC+1)

Saturday 8 July 2023

• 11:30 Men's 100m heats
• 11:40 Women's javelin final
• 12:35 Women's 100m heats
• 13:20 Women's triple jump final
• 13:25 Women's 100m hurdles heats
• 13:50 Men's shot put final
• 13:55 Men's 800m heats
• 14:25 Women's 800m heats
• 14:36 Women's hammer final
• 14:55 Women's 100m hurdles final
• 15:00 Women's pole vault final
• 15:05 Men's 400m hurdles heats
• 15:35 Women's 400m hurdles heats
• 16:00 Men's long jump final
• 16:05 Men's 400m heats
• 16:35 Women's 400m heats
• 17:05 Men's 100m semi-finals
• 17:24 Women's high jump final
• 17:28 Women's 100m semi-finals
• 17:47 Men's discus final
• 17:51 Men's 1500m heats
• 18:15 Men's 1500m heats
• 18:40 Women's 3000m steeplechase final
• 19:00 Men's 5000m final
• 19:22 Men's 100m final
• 19:32 Women's 100m final

Sunday 9 July 2023

• 11:15 Men's javelin final
• 11:45 Women's 5000m walk final
• 12:20 Men's triple jump final
• 12:25 Men's 5000m walk final
• 12:55 Women's shot put final
• 13:00 Men's 110m hurdles heats
• 13:10 Men's hammer final
• 13:30 Women's 200m heats
• 14:00 Men's 200m heats
• 14:10 Men's pole vault final
• 14:30 Women's 5000m final
• 14:50 Men's high jump final
• 14:55 Men's 110m hurdles final
• 15:05 Women's 400m hurdles final
• 15:10 Women's long jump final
• 15:15 Men's 400m hurdles final
• 15:20 Women's discus final
• 15:25 Men's 3000m steeplechase final
• 15:40 Women's 200m final
• 15:50 Men's 200m final
• 16:00 Men's 400m final
• 16:10 Women's 1500m final
• 16:20 Women's 400m final
• 16:30 Men's 800m final
• 16:40 Women's 800m final
• 16:50 Men's 1500m final

How to watch the UK Athletics Championships live

In Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the UK Athletics Championships will be free to view on the BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.

Coverage including highlights will also be available on British Athletics TV.