Army put Alexander Stadium through its paces ahead of Birmingham 2022

The Army has tested if Birmingham's Alexander Stadium is ready for action after holding an athletics competition at the venue.

Just 99 days to go until the Commonwealth Games roll into the city and the West Midlands - and excitement continues to build.

Birmingham City Council asked Army athletes from the Midlands and Wales if they wanted to have their athletics events in the city to test the stadium in preparation for the games.

Members of the Armed Forces jumped at the chance to get involved and the Army's parachute display team, the Red Devils also glided into the ground.

WO2 Musa Audu, army coach, said: "I'm a 400 meter runner. I attended the Olympics in 2004 and I won a bronze medal with the Nigerian team for four by 400 meters.

"I'm an athlete who has run in two Commonwealth Games, both Manchester and Australia, and then three times world championship in athletics as well.

"The stadium is a very good facility, a new track, very fast track."

It's the first athletics event at the Perry Barr venue since its £72 million redevelopment.

A number of events took place and there was a crowd to cheer them on made up of people who live nearby, as well as army friends and family.

Sgt Danni Hodgkinson, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps, said: "Yeah I trained here a few years back when I was doing my mental health degree with the Army.

"So I would come down for Tuesday, Thursdays and then i'd come here for the British champs and now it's totally different.

"Like there's something about a blue track that I find special. I don't know why."

Craig  Cooper, Commonwealth Games programme director, said: "I think it's just phenomenal. This is a statement of Birmingham isn't it.

"We now have in Birmingham, the premier athletics stadium in the United Kingdom, and it's something that we are so proud of."