“Track and Field Simply Can’t Sell”: Record-Breaking Performances in Front of Empty Stands at European Championships Leaves Fans Disappointed

The best competed in the European Athletics Championships in Rome, but the empty stands gave a rather different impression. Many wondered why such a momentous occasion failed to bring a crowd in track and field, even in the face of performances that broke attendance records.

The question “Why aren’t there more people watching in the arena in Rome?” sparked a heated discussion, raising many points of debate, and brought attention to an issue that is becoming increasingly pressing: Why is track and field having trouble drawing in live audiences?

Outstanding performances were seen at the Championships, with Karsten Warholm and Femke Bol setting records in the 400-meter hurdle races for men and women, respectively. This year, Warholm’s 46.98 seconds and Bol’s 52.49 seconds were among the fastest times recorded in the world. Nonetheless, these accomplishments took place in front of almost empty seats.

Why aren’t there more people watching in the arena in Rome?
byu/UnknownPleasures3 intrackandfield

With the glory, Warholm achieved his third consecutive continental crown, an exciting accomplishment. Still, the mood of joy was offset by the absence of onlookers. “Whenever I walk on the track, I want to accomplish my goals,” Warholm stated in a conversation with Olympics.com. “Today, I had to fight very hard.” His remarks captured the difficulty of competing.

Femke Bol offered her insight into the moment, saying, “It’s never easy, you can never take anything for granted, which is why it’s important to stay focused on myself and not think about what’s happening around me,” Her remarks brought to light the challenge faced by athletes when their extraordinary efforts are often disregarded. However, fans chimed in with their views following the Reddit post of empty stands.

Audiences react to the lack of a show-up for track and field

Fans’ observations of the attendance at track and field events have surfaced in recent talks. The disappointment highlights several potential contributing factors behind low attendance. One user stated, “That’s so sad if that’s the case. I went to Diamond League earlier this year and it was completely packed. But this does seem like a much bigger stadium. Still, if tickets are affordable you’d think people would attend,” contrasting various events and locations.

Another supporter went into further detail about the difficulties in packing big stadiums, saying, “Track & Field simply can’t sell out soccer stadiums outside of the Olympics… Hayward Field has 12-25k seats depending on configuration. Stadio Olimpico holds 72k….”. However, such reads display its challenge to attract many audiences to recall the confirmation comment.

Recently, at the Oxy Invitational, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won the 100 and 200-meter races. Even with her success, the mood in the stadium was surprisingly low. With her sights set on the Olympics in Paris, the 24-year-old stated, “I just want to be better than I was in Tokyo.” Well, even Noah Lyles expressed his dissatisfaction with the existing state in a conversation, remarking, “No chanting, no cheering – that kind of sucks,” understanding the absence of atmosphere despite the attendance. Lyles went so far as to say, “It would kind of be better if there weren’t fans if that is what they are going to continue with,” highlighting the disparity between the fans’ actual presence and their influence on the mood of the event.

A user carried on the topic, pointing out that London has the distinct ability to constantly attract sizable crowds. “I’ve reached the conclusion that the only city that can guarantee a edit: BIG! full house for any non-Olympic championships is London. Edit: An extra 10,000 tickets have just been released for this year’s Diamond League meeting, bringing capacity up to 60,000. It’s not cheap entertainment, either: ‘reasonable’ seats start at £80.” This implies that certain places with a long history of athletics would be more successful in attracting spectators.

Then another admirer gave a different take on the current situation, saying quite frankly, “It’s not that. Trust me. There’s hardly anyone there.” A different user mirrored this impression responding, “Being a weekday doesn’t help but track is dead everywhere. I went to the Paris GP in ‘22 and was surprised at how empty the stadium was. Maybe 8,000 people in a 20,000-seat stadium. It was a highly enjoyable experience though.”

This underscores the more general problem of diminishing interest in Track & Field, irrespective of venue or day of the week, outside of major events such as the Olympics. These fan responses highlight the challenges and details that athletic events face in drawing sizable crowds. These replies are a result of a combination of factors such as declining interest in the sport overall, logistical problems, and rising popularity based on location.