Coach operator’s vital role in European Athletic Championships

Johnsons Coaches played a vital role ensuring the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships ran smoothly - keeping athletes, officials, sponsors and event staff on the road.

The Warwickshire-based coach operator delivered a large-scale operation across the city throughout the Championships, providing transport for a major share of the Corporate and Sporting Events Management at Alexander Stadium.

The Johnsons operation connected athletes and officials with hotels across Birmingham while supporting a number of event partners and organisations.

The operation ran from eight hotels for four clients, with up to 17 executive coaches in service each day.

Individual vehicles completed as many as 26 shuttle journeys per day, with services running from around 7am through to after midnight depending on client requirements.

Following an initial four-coach programme on 9 August, the operation increased to between 12 and 14 coaches on many days.

The predominantly 53-seat executive coaches were supported by larger vehicles with capacities ranging from 63 to 89 passengers, allowing Johnsons to adapt its fleet to changing requirements throughout the Championships.

Johnsons transported athletes and officials between city-centre hotels and Alexander Stadium, with services operating from locations including the Grand Hotel, Broad Street Plaza, Conference Aston, Leonardo Hotel, Crowne Plaza and Park Regis.

The company also provided an on-demand shuttle service for BBC staff, connecting the Clayton Hotel with Alexander Stadium.

Alongside the core Championships operation, Johnsons supported Interopa with Heathrow collections and daily transfers for passengers from France and the Benelux region, as well as Angela Shanley with transport for the Swedish Athletics Association and its sponsors.

Delivering a transport programme of this scale required detailed planning, communication and flexibility across the Johnsons team.

Long operating hours were managed through staggered driver shifts, carefully planned around legal working-time requirements.

Transfer vehicles were used to position fresh drivers and return colleagues to Johnsons' operational centres across Greater Birmingham.

Behind the scenes, Johnsons' 24/7 operations office managed late changes and kept clients, on-site teams and drivers aligned throughout each day.

Drivers received updates through their Johnsons smartphones, with important information also reinforced through calls and face-to-face briefings. Schedules, timings and locations were continually reviewed and adjusted in response to changing client requirements.

Tony Simmons, commercial director at Johnsons Coaches, said: “Supporting an event of this scale in our home region is a fantastic opportunity for Johnsons Coaches and our team.

“There is an enormous amount of work happening behind the scenes to make sure athletes, officials, staff and partners get where they need to be, often from early morning through to well after midnight.

“Our drivers, operations team and support staff have all played an important part in delivering this operation.

“The ability to respond quickly, communicate effectively and adapt throughout the day is crucial when you're supporting an international sporting event of this scale.”

The scale of the operation also attracted attention from ITV Central, with Johnsons Coaches interviewed as part of the broadcaster's coverage of Birmingham 2026.

The coverage provided an opportunity to showcase the work taking place behind the scenes to keep athletes, officials and event teams moving throughout the Championships, as well as highlighting the role of local coach operators in supporting major international sporting events.

Pictured: Johnsons managing director Ashley Brown being interviewed by ITV