The year 2024 in AW covers

A look at some of the front pages of Athletics Weekly from the past 12 months

As we reflect on 2024, it has undoubtedly been a remarkable year in the world of athletics. From the excitement of the Paris Olympic Games to the thrilling performances at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, and the European Championships in Rome, the year has been packed with unforgettable moments.

The major highlights have been consistently featured on the front pages of AW, as they have illustrated what an eventful year it was for the sport.

Athletics in 2024 has been defined by the achievements of some of the sport’s biggest names, including Keely Hodgkinson, Mondo Duplantis, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, whose performances made them the natural choices for our cover stars.

Throughout the year, we’ve also focused on key events, such as our in-depth Olympic preview and review, alongside a special feature highlighting the top 20 British Olympians in athletics history.

It’s been a year full of celebration, reflection, and of course, thrilling performances and all have been captured throughout the 2024 covers of AW.

January

As 2024 began, the January issue of AW set the stage for what promised to be a landmark year for athletics and leading the cover was Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The previous year had been challenging for him, after suffering a second consecutive loss in the World 1500m final to Josh Kerr and he faced various off-track issues.

In an exclusive interview, his brother and training partner, Henrik, offered AW a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of Team Ingebrigtsen.

Jakob’s 2024, however, turned out to be a year of success, with highlights including his victory in the Olympic 5000m final and most recently, a win at the European Cross Country Championships.

February 

For the February issue of AW, the 2022 world champion, Jake Wightman, took centre stage on the cover, as he set his sights on reclaiming his place at the top table of 1500m running.

The British middle-distance runner faced a series of injury setbacks after his 2022 victory that hindered his ability to defend his crown. In an exclusive interview, he shared the valuable lessons he’s learned throughout the challenging period.

Being able to now look back on the year, it didn’t unfold like Wightman had hoped for. He was forced to withdraw from the Olympic Games due to a hamstring injury just days before his 800m race.

In an interview with AW in October he said: “If I have another big injury or setback, I’m not sure I can come back again as it would be my body telling me that ‘this is it’. But I believe that if I make these changes now then I can get back to where I need to be.”

Jake Wightman: “If I have another big injury, I’m not sure I can come back”

March

The March issue of AW had a distinct feel compared to the first two covers of the year, as it showcased a group of athletes, with a particular focus on the Scottish competitors preparing to compete on home soil at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

The last Scottish athletes who claimed World Indoor gold medals were Tom McKean and Yvonne Murray-Mooney, both of whom appeared on this months cover.

However, this was soon changed as Josh Kerr made histroy by winning the men’s 3000m gold in Glasgow, becoming the first British man to achieve the feat.

April

After the excitement of Glasgow 2024, it was only fitting that April’s AW cover star was Molly Caudery, who made a major breakthrough by claiming the women’s world indoor pole vault title.

In an exclusive interview, Caudery opened up about her coach, Scott Simpson, and the mindset that drove her to success.

It had been an impressive start to the year for the Cornwall native, who entered the Paris Olympic Games with a new British record of 4.92m and high hopes for a podium finish.

Unfortunately, her Olympic journey ended early, as she failed to clear 4.55m in the opening rounds – missing out on a spot in the final. But there is still much more to come for the 24-year-old, especially with the World Championships next year.

May

Time was of the essence when it came down to the May issue of AW, which examined the art of breaking barriers.

Marking the 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s sub-four-minute-mile, we revisited that ground-breaking achievement through his eyes, as well as delving into numbers and why the pursuit of new goals matter so much when it comes to athletics.

In addition to this, the month took us to Jamaica, a country renowned for producing world-class sprinters who are continuously setting new records and redefining the limits of speed.

We delved into the culture behind Jamaica’s track and field dominance, uncovering the roots of its champion-making system.

June

As the outdoor track season was well underway, the June issue of AW turned it’s focus to the upcoming European Championships in Rome 2024, offering an in-depth preview of the event.

Italian coach Marco Airale, who trains several of Britain’s leading sprinters, shared his insights on the growing strength of athletics in Italy, highlighting the impact of Olympic successes Marcell Jacobs and Gianmarco Tamberi. Both athletes went on to claim gold in Rome, further cementing Italy’s track and field success.

This year also marked the 50th anniversary of the European Championships being held in Rome, prompting us to revisit the 1974 event, speaking to Ian Thompson – the Briton who was once on top of the marathon world.

July

With the European Championships been and gone, the July issue shifted focus to the growing excitement surrounding the Paris Olympic Games.

To capture that energy, we posed a question to the athletics community: Who would you rank as the greatest when it comes to athletes who have represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland in athletics at the Olympics?

We put the question to a panel made up of people from across the world of athletics – from athletes past and present to coaches, commentators, statisticians and journalists. Together, they helped us compile a list of the top 20, which was revealed in the July issue, complete with profiles of each athlete.

The front cover, featuring a collage of athletes, offered a glimpse into some of the names that made the list.

August

As Paris 2024 grew nearer, the August issue became your essential guide to the Games, with the cover featuring a host of athletes we anticipated would shine on the global stage.

Among them was Keely Hodgkinson, who would go on to win gold for Great Britain in the 800m, and  Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who claimed Olympic high jump gold after setting a new world record of 2.10m a few weeks before.

Faith Kipyegon and marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge also graced the cover, both having faced significant challenges in their preparations for Paris. In exclusive interviews with AW, they shared their journeys of overcoming adversity on the road to the Games.

September

The September issue of AW looked back on the unforgettable moments of the Paris 2024 Games, revisiting the highlights. Naturally, Keely Hodgkinson, was the perfect choice for the front cover.

While her 800m victory was commanding, the 22-year-old’s journey to the top was far from simple. In this issue, we took an in-depth look at the path that led her to Olympic glory.

We spent time with several of her training partners from the Manchester-based M11 Track Club, as well as one of her coaches, Jenny Meadows, to get some insight about what it’s like to work with such a great talent but also to discover the amount of work that goes into becoming the best in the world.

October

In October we continued our focus on the thriving M11 Track Club, this time featuring another one of their stars – Georgia Bell, who we named Britain’s Breakthrough Athlete of 2024.

In an exclusive interview, Bell reflected on an extraordinary year that saw her make histroy by winning Olympic bronze in the 1500m in Paris.

She shared her 2024 journey, which began with balancing a career in cybersecurity alongside her athletic ambition, and ended with her achieving full-time professional status. By the close of the year, she had become an Olympic and European medallist, as well as the British 1500m record-holder.

November

The November issue of AW turned it’s attention to the rapidly evolving world of distance running, and it was Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich who graced the front cover, following her extraordinary marathon world record in Chicago.

Chepngetich’s stunning 2:09:56 performance created headlines and split opinion, but it also underlined the remarkable evolution that is currently taking place in the sport.

In this issue, we broke down the numbers behind her record-setting run and explored the reactions from the global athletics community.

December

We reflect on the highlights of 2024 in athletics in our December issue, with Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis taking centre stage as our final cover star of the year.

In an exclusive interview, the two-time Olympic champion opens up about his record-breaking pole vault performance in Paris, offering insight into the mindset and training that enable him to dominate his event.

The issue also reveals the winners of the AW Readers’ Choice Awards, with in-depth profiles and interviews showcasing their achievements. To discover the full list of award winners, be sure to buy or download our latest issue.

You can find all of our coverage from 2024 via the Athletics Weekly archive.

From the first ever issue in December 1945 through to the present day, current subscribers to our magazine are able to dip into this resource for free whereas non-subscribers can pay just £3.99 per month for full access.

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