News

NOTICE TO ALL PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF ATHLETES

REVISED AGE GROUPS/CATEGORIES FROM 1st APRIL 2026

The current age groups – categories in which young athletes compete – are to be revised. From 1st April 2026, young athletes will compete in age groups as below.

These new age groups will replace the existing U13, U15 and U17 groups.

These changes will mean that athletes are competing at the top of their age group in non-exam years.

U10: School years 3 and 4
U12: years 5 and 6
U14: years 7 and 8
U16: years 9 and 10
U18: years 11 and 12
U20: years 13+

There are currently no official UKA rules for the U11 age group. Many competitions and clubs, however, use this age group as an introductiooon to atletics. It is therefore being replaced by and U10 optional affiliation and competition age group.

The competition year will run from 1st October to 30th September and so athletes will compete in the same age group from October through to September in Cross Country, Road, and Track & Field.

Please note, however, an athlete’s age group is determined by their age on 31st August of that year.

Athletes will move into their new age group at the conclusion of the summer track and field season for the following winter road/cross country season. Therefore, from winter 2026 onwards, athletes will switch to their new age group from 1st October and will compete in that age group for Cross Country, Road and then Track & Field.

Ther Youth Development League (YDL) have confirmed that they intend to offer competition to secondary age athletes – U14 and U16 (Lower) plus U18 and U20 (Upper).