AW Magazine

4 January 2024

As the calendar page turns over into 2024, the January issue of AW looks forward to what is set to be a momentous year for athletics. With World Indoor, World Cross Country and European Championships to come, plus the Paris Olympics, there are plenty of reasons for fans of the sport to get excited about the months ahead – and the AW team picks out several of the potential highlights in the offing. One of the key figures will once again be Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the hugely dominant middle distance force who makes headlines wherever he goes. Last year was not all plain sailing for the 23-year-old, who lost his second successive world 1500m final to a British athlete and also had a number of off-track issues to deal with. In an exclusive interview, his brother and training partner Henrik provides some insight into the Team Ingebrigtsen operation, as well as underlining just why he thinks the Olympic champion will still be the man to beat in 2024. After the British team enjoyed their best World Championships performance in 30 years, hopes will be high of a successful Olympic performance. Back in his role as head of short sprints and relays at UK Athletics, Darren Campbell talks about the strength of the talent he works with, what it takes to come out on top at the Games and how his job has helped him to heal after the brain injury he suffered in 2018. The world of distance running will continue to move at a rapid pace this year and one of the most prolific athletes in its history is still planning to play a major part. Kenenisa Bekele talks through his Olympic marathon ambitions and why he is still learning after years at the top. There are plenty of strong opinions from our columnists in this issue, too, as well as a performance section full of expert training advice, an interview with Serbian jumps coach Goran Obradovic and a look at the latest footwear.