2025 FIXTURES | 2024 FIXTURES | COMPETITION FINDER |
INTRODUCTION
Working in partnership with the Home Countries and key competition providers across the UK, a fixtures calendar is created to ensure a competition pathway for athletes across track and field and endurance disciplines. This calendar is published biannually, the first release in May includes track and field indoor and endurance dates, and the second publication in October includes outdoor track and field dates.
BACKGROUND
The calendar planning process is a complex and challenging process.
The calendar and competition offer has evolved organically over time and not always in an integrated and collaborative way that underpins the athlete development model or taking account of the needs and resources of each discipline. This has led to congestion in provision in some areas with a lack of competition opportunities in others.
The HCAFs and our valued competition providers throughout the UK, will play an equally important role in delivering to these goals and therefore UKA and the HCAFs are work collaboratively to ensure that the management and delivery of the competition structure and calendar delivers a modernised competition offer that is easier to navigate, engages, excites, and motivates participation.
CALENDAR PLANNING PRINCIPLES
The following principles have been agreed and adopted by the HCAF and UKA
- It is accepted that the calendar is inextricable linked to the competition structure.
- UKA and the HCAFs cannot deliver and directly control all competition.
- Collaboration, co-operation, and clear communication with competition providers will be paramount.
- The evolving competition structures at a performance level will be informed by the outcomes required from competition, defined through the discipline specific strategy work.
- The structures at HCAFs should underpin the performance level by ensure both talent pathways and club participation are appropriately supported and accommodated.
- The calendar should be managed on a rolling four-year basis linked to the Olympic and paralympic cycles.
- As major championship dates can be flexible so the calendar should reflect this particularly in relation to dates of competition which support preparation for British championships & selection trials and performances as world, European championships, and commonwealth games.
- The calendar should be fully integrated across all track and field, off track endurance and para-athletics.
- A system of prioritisation of dates will be agreed and communicated to the sport.
- It is inevitable and unavoidable that there will be calendar clashes. It is recognised that this creates pressure on the limited capacity of officials, volunteers, and facilities. The evolving competition structure and licencing will provide an opportunity to better manage this and the principle of designating weekends for particular types of competition will be explored.
- The presentation of the calendar should help athletes and coaches to navigate their season with appropriate competition based on their needs.
- The principles will be reviewed annually and revised where appropriate by the competition working group.
CALENDAR MANAGEMENT – PRIORITISATION
TRACK AND FIELD
The following prioritisation, for the allocation of dates, will be used for track and field.
PRIORITY | COMPETITION TYPE |
|
|
1 | GLOBAL & CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS |
2 | UK ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS UK ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS / WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE UK ATHLETICS INDOOR GRAND PRIX BRITISH ATHLETICS CROSS CHALLENGE SERIES |
3 | HOME NATION CHAMPIONSHIPS HCAF SCHOOL EVENTS / CHAMPIONSHIPS |
4 | WORLD PERMITTED EVENTS WITH RANKING POINTS LEVEL E & ABOVE |
5 | REGIONAL/ DISTRICT & AREA CHAMPIONSHIPS COUNTIES CROSS BORDER COMPETITION – NAL, YDL, BMC, BUCS, BMAF |
6 | REGIONAL/DISTRICT & AREA LEAGUES |
7 | LOCAL LEAGUES OPEN EVENTS |
OFF TRACK & ENDURANCE
The CWG will consult accordingly with those currently leading on the coordination of the competition calendar for Cross Country/Endurance and other off track endurance disciplines via the Endurance Subgroup to support the provision of a fully integrated calendar for the sport.
PARA ATHLETICS
UKA and HCAFs will consult accordingly with those currently leading on the coordination of competition calendar for para-athletics.
CALENDAR MANAGEMENT – GOVERNANCE
The CWG will provide the oversight and sign-off of the calendar.
Date conflicts for priority levels 6 and below which cannot be resolved by the HCAFs working with their respective competition providers will be referred to the CWG for a decision.
- The Working Group will appoint a 3-member commission to resolve the date conflict
- The commission will include a UKA Rep, relevant HCAF rep plus an independent
- Each party will have an opportunity to present their case using a standardised form to ensure all relevant and required information is captured.
A full list of Home Country competitions can be found at:
Athletics Northern Ireland | England Athletics | Welsh Athletics | Scottish Athletics
If you have any fixture related queries please contact domesticcompetition@uka.org.uk