The head of the London Marathon has urged West Ham to show more “heart and soul” amid fears they could scupper Britain’s chances of hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships.
While London’s bid is seen as the favourite, it has hit a major stumbling block with West Ham refusing to give up their stadium for around two weeks in September 2029 because the football season will be under way.
Hugh Brasher, who is part of the London 2029 bid team, admitted that the situation was further complicated by the Hammers facing relegation and the departure of the club’s vice chair, Karren Brady.
“Football is an interesting, very tribal, sport,” said Brasher. “Money talks. But sometimes people look at their heart, they look at their soul, and that’s the purpose.”
Brasher then cited the words of his father, Chris, when he came up with the idea of the London Marathon in an Observer article nearly 50 years ago.
“My father’s final words in the article in 1979 said: ‘London had the course, but did it have the heart and the soul to welcome the world?’ I would ask West Ham, do they have the heart and the soul to open the stadium?’
Brasher said that he expected talks with West Ham to take place in June, although he conceded that if they went down to the Championship it would have an impact.
“It becomes more complicated,” he said. “There are more games. That makes a difference. But it’s an Olympic stadium. It’s an amazing stadium. We believe that we can fill it. As an Olympic legacy, that’s all part of the bigger picture here. So, yeah, it’s complicated. Business and life are complicated.”
Rome, Munich, Nairobi as well as an Indian city are also in contention for the Championships. Final submissions from bidding cities are required by early August, with a decision made in September.
Brasher is the latest senior athletics figure to urge West Ham to see the wider picture after Keely Hodgkinson told the club that “the GB team will bring back more medals to that stadium than West Ham have seen in their entire history” if it was staged in London in 2029.
However Brasher struck a more conciliatory tone as he stressed that he was hopeful of finding a way of getting West Ham on board.
“I’m a really positive person,” added Brasher. “So I really, really hope and believe there is a way through.
“We have a government and mayor that is behind this bid. The general public is behind this bid, and we have athletes behind it, and we have a legacy that we believe we can deliver. And so therefore should we be able to find a way? Yes, we should.
“We’ve put together a great bid. It’s not our decision. That’s World Athletics’ decision. Yes, we have to get through West Ham. I believe we can.”