Britain's best go head-to-head at the British Lead Championships in Manchester

This weekend (Saturday 8 February - Sunday 9 February), the country’s top Lead climbers will battle it out for the coveted title of British Champion.
Following the excitement of January’s British Boulder Championships, the British Lead Championships make their debut in Manchester, featuring Olympic and World Cup medallists competing against the next generation of climbing stars. As athletes tie in for a packed weekend of competition, here’s everything you need to know.
Hosted on the newly opened walls of Big Depot Manchester, we can expect to see some of Britain’s best Lead climbers in action, including 20-year-old Erin McNeice, the 2023 British Lead Champion and a Paris 2024 finalist.
Going head-to-head with McNeice will be Lucy Garlick, who placed 9th at the 2024 IFSC Youth World Championships in Guiyang, along with Zoe Peetermans and Fae MacDougall, who claimed silver and bronze at the 2024 British Lead Championships.
In the men’s competition, newly crowned British Boulder Champion and reigning British Lead Champion Jack MacDougall looks to do the double but will face fierce competition from Olympic champion Toby Roberts and Olympic finalist Hamish McArthur. Joining the line-up is is 17-year-old Sam Hammond, who is set to compete in his first senior British Lead Championship event. Hammond had a strong international season in 2024, finishing 11th at the IFSC Youth World Championships.
The U17 competition will feature rising stars like Iggy Rinaldi, who is set to build on her medal-winning international season, while reigning British Lead Champion Isaac Sutton will look to defend his title and build on an impressive debut international season in 2024.
The championship event serves as a selection event for the GB Climbing team and will be set by BMC Head Routesetter Max Ayrton, Yann Genoux, Jess McAskey, Caelian Harker, and Dave Barrans.
Where to Watch
The BMC is delighted to bring you live coverage of the British Lead Championships via the BMC YouTube channel. Coverage will start and approximately end at the following times:
Saturday 8 February
10:00 – Men’s and Women’s Lead Qualifications
Sunday 9 February
10:00 – Men’s and Women’s Lead Semi-finals
17:15 – Men’s and Women’s U17 Final
18:30 – Men’s and Women’s Senior Final
Results from the event can be viewed here.
Some of the biggest names in the sport will be climbing on the walls of Manchester this weekend, and with a limited number of tickets still available, don’t miss your chance to see world-class climbers in action!