When competing indoors, women can wear shorts and T-shirts to play sports like basketball and volleyball, but men, and especially photographers, are not allowed to watch.

I love competing indoors and to get the opportunity to race in Birmingham is really exciting.

"I can't quite believe this will be my first time competing indoors in the UK," he said.

She also competed indoors, improving her 1500 m best to 4:04.80 at the Indoor Flanders meeting.

Indoor track and field is established in Europe now, and runners from all over the world compete indoors.

But the debate was hardly over about the fairness of a policy that permits some players to compete indoors while others have to struggle through the heat.

Schwartz did not compete indoors in 2005 but managed to finish in the top three at the USA Outdoors.

She now competes indoors and outdoors several times a week with other women close to her age, near her home in Dartmouth, Mass.

"For some reason, I don't seem suited to competing indoors."

Dejen competed indoors for the first time the following year and was second at the Boston Indoor Games behind Lagat.