COMPETITION
NOTICE FROM ENGLAND ATHLETICS
AGE GROUP CHANGE
April 2026
The current age groups – categories in which young athletes compete – are to be revised. From April 1, 2026, young athletes will compete in the following age groups:
​
-
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: year 13+
These new age groups will replace the existing U13, U15 and U17 groupings and will ensure that athletes compete across the school year (in England) from October-September in the same age group through cross country, road and then track and field competition.
​
The rules will be effective from 1 April 2026, so athletes will compete in the 2026 track and field season in the above age groups. For example, for track and field, an athlete currently in year 7 will compete in the U13 age group in the 2025 summer season and will be in year 8 – and therefore U14 – in the 2026 track and field season.​
​
Use the button below to find out which is your athlete's correct age group from April 2026
AFFILIATION
​
​​​​​You will need to be an affiliated athlete of England Athletics and use your athlete-specific unique reference number (URN) when entering an event. ​ If you DO NOT have a URN, please request club affiliation - HERE
COMPETITIONS​
​​
Track & Field - Indoors​
November - March
​
Indoor events take place at arena's and universities where facilities are avaiable for 60m sprints on 200m track.
​
​
Track & Field - Outdoors​
March - September
​
Open Meetings, league meetings and county championships all occur throughout this period. Ask your coach for more details.​
​​
Cross Country
Late September - March
​
Schools and clubs enter leagues and championships throughout this period.
LAA athletes compete as 'second claim' to Kenilworth Runners for XC; for more details, contact us
info@leamingtonathletics.co.uk
​​
​
WHY COMPETE?​
​
Competition is the best way to see if your training is working. Whilst everyone feels nervous, it can be very exciting and rewarding to have a personal best (PB) that you may use as a goal to help focus and work hard in training.
Competing for the club in a league event or county championships is fantastic fun, and the shared excitement and support of fellow teammates helps many athletes excel.
For some athletes, competing is a way of ensuring selection to the county team or individual national events, such as English Schools.​​
​
WHAT DO I NEED TO COMPETE?
​
To compete, you must register with LAA as your affiliated club to England Athletics. ​
​
Affiliate with EA - contact us
Purchase an LAA competition vest -HERE
Find a competition - HERE