Battle of the Boulderers: British Boulder Championships debut in Manchester this weekend

Performance News

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24 Jan

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2 min read

This weekend (Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 January), Britain’s best boulderers will battle it out for the coveted title of British Champion.

The British Boulder Championships will debut in Manchester for the first time and will feature Olympic and World Cup medallists going head-to-head against future climbing stars. As athletes chalk up for a packed weekend of competition, here’s everything you need to know.

Hosted on the newly opened walls of Big Depot Manchester, this Championship event—which also serves as a selection event for the GB Climbing team - will showcase a host of Britain’s best sport climbers, including Paris 2024 Boulder and Lead gold medallist Toby Roberts.

Going up against Roberts is 2024 champion Sam Butterworth, who will look to defend his title, as well as Paris 2024 finalist Hamish McArthur, World Cup silver medallist Max Milne, and European Championship medallist Dayan Akhtar.

Reigning women’s champion Zoe Peetermans leads a strong women’s field, facing competition from Paris 2024 finalist Erin McNeice, British Boulder Championships silver medallist Thea Cameron, and Youth European Champion Lucy Garlick.

The U17 competition will feature rising stars like Iggy Rinaldi, SportsAid’s 2024 One-to-Watch Award nominee, who is set to build on her medal-winning international season, and Isaac Sutton, who will aim to build on his 4th-place finish at the IFSC European Youth Cup in Zilina last year.

Laura Needham, Head of Performance at the British Mountaineering Council, said: “We’re delighted to be able to kick-off the domestic calendar at a new venue in Manchester and it’s an incredible opportunity to showcase the talent we have in the UK climbing scene.

“I would like to wish all athletes good luck as the step out onto the mats this weekend”

The competition will be set by Head Setter Max Ayrton, Zoe Wood, former paraclimbing medallist Mikey Cleverdon, former GB team member Nathan Phillips and Alex Prescott.

Where to watch

The BMC are delighted to bring you live coverage from the British Boulder Championships via the BMC YouTube channel and the Olympic Channel. Coverage will be starting and approximately ending at the following times: