That is a remarkable number of people who, in this age of increased competition for our time, attention and leisure spend, are choosing to be entertained by the best athletes on the planet.

The World Para Athletics Championships was a huge success – recognised universally as the best ever and the highest point for Para sport since London 2012 with over 300,000 people watching the event live in the Stadium.

The Muller Anniversary Games once again delivered a fantastic family experience and one of the highpoints of the summer.

Now comes the giant, the IAAF World Championships.

The ‘one million’ stat is remarkable when you consider the global environment which athletics has operated in over the past couple of years.

The Russian doping scandal, corruption at the highest level, numerous positive tests. These elements are not unique to athletics but nonetheless point to major issues that need to be addressed.

Despite this, the British public have backed track and field.

They are turning out in huge numbers. Global audiences will be strong and the sport will enjoy a phenomenal World Championships.

We have been involved in the marketing effort for the past two years working with a brilliant team. A new National Governing Body-led approach has created a new model for the way that major events can be delivered.

Now the World Championships are here and they will take your breath away leaving memories as strong as anything that you can recall from London 2012.

Usain Bolt will run his last race. Mo Farah will run on the track at the London Stadium for the last time. New heroes will emerge.

No question, athletics has had a tough time over the past two years but these will be an amazing World Championships and the springboard to a bright future for the sport.