''SPIKES'' is an

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

website and magazine published by Haymarket Network in conjunction with the IAAF.

History and profile

The magazine and website were launched in July 2008 at an event attended by then IAAF vice president Lord Coe, Steve Ovett, Jonathan Edwards,

Colin Jackson Colin Ray Jackson, (born 18 February 1967) is a Welsh former sprint and hurdling athlete who specialised in the 110 metres hurdles. During a career in which he represented Great Britain and Wales, he won an Olympic silver medal, became wo ...

and Wilson Kipketer. The aim of SPIKES is to raise awareness of the sport and recognition of the athletes by encouraging discussion through challenging features and profiles. Although funded directly by the IAAF, the editorial staff has a free rein with the content – which typically combines serious debate with more light-hearted features and pop cultural references. Giles Richards of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' praised the magazine for its interviews and biographical features: "It's a lot easier to care about a sport if you care about the people involved".Richards, Giles (21 August 2010)
Review: Spikes magazine breathes new life into athletics
''The Observer''. Retrieved 21 August 2010. In 2014 SPIKES moved to its new home on the IAAF website (spikes.iaaf.org) and with digital taking over the magazine format to ensure content is available to everyone and everywhere around the worl

SPIKES is universally known as the fun, relaxed and engaged voice of athletics and has established itself as one of the most influential voices in the sport of track and field. It publishes stories from athletes and events around the world to bring fans closer than ever to the sport they love and to inspire the next generation of athletics enthusiasts.

References

External links

SPIKES website
2008 establishments in the United Kingdom Athletics magazines Sports magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 2008 Magazines published in London {{sport-mag-stub