Start Me Up

This is Unsung. Introducing the sports stars you don’t know, telling the stories you can’t miss. The series begins, rather aptly, with a look at the job of an athletics starter. The sound of gunfire is the precursor to every great sprint in athletics history. Yet those pulling the trigger are much more than a hired gun.

In this episode, Alexis James meets the volunteer official whose strict codes on rule-keeping can break as many dreams as they make - for even the world’s most famous athletes. Alan Bell has presided over the biggest races in athletics for almost half a century, and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games it is he, once again, who is the man with the bang.

From dealing with stroppy sprinters to disqualifying the biggest names in the sport, Alan shares anecdotes from his time in the sport, and offers tips on how to become a starter of international pedigree.

Unsung Episode 1