Not content with playing host to the prestigious Muller Anniversary Games, a legacy event that sees some of the biggest names in athletics competing, last week London Stadium also welcomed local schools, community groups and budding athletes taking part in a Festival of Sport organised by British Athletics and supported by the London Legacy Development Corporation.

Children across London were invited to the Stadium on Thursday for the London Borough Connect Relays, with young athletes representing both their schools and boroughs, and racing across three distances (100m, 200m and 400m). The top teams in each age group – under 11, under 13, under 15 and under 17 – were then invited to compete in a grand final ahead of the Müller Anniversary Games, giving them a taste of the glory the world’s top athletes get to experience!

On Friday four local schools were invited to end the year in style at the Müller Sports Day, combining traditional school sports day fun with added interaction from elite athletes. Overall over 150 children got to take part in the sports day – that’s a lot of eggs and spoons! There was also a women-only Couch to 5K race on Sunday morning, hoping to inspire people who had never tried running before to give it a try – including the chance to run inside London Stadium itself, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those taking part to be part of a venue with an iconic sporting history.

It shows that London Stadium continues to be a community venue at heart, even when hosting prestigious international events. Lyn Garner, LLDC Chief Executive, said: “What better way to round off London Stadium’s amazing summer of events than giving schoolchildren and community groups the chance to compete alongside some of the world’s finest athletes? That’s what the Olympic legacy is all about and I’m confident this great start will see the Festival of Athletics will go from strength to strength.”