Birmingham were also commended for their management of risk, existing infrastructure and plans for a long-term sporting legacy.
That last point is perhaps the key, as the Alexandra Stadium will be expanded from its current capacity of 13,000 to 20,000, with 25,000 additional seats for the Games.
This will make the Perry Barr venue, already the home of UK Athletics, the largest, permanent athletics track in the country, and it is also intended to be used for other sports, concerts and conferences.
There are some concerns about its legacy use, though, as UKA has already committed to hold most of its major events at the London Stadium every summer.