Coronavirus update: TrackMark accreditation and throws cage modification deadlines extended
We recognise that clubs and venues are facing unplanned challenges and new pressures at this time. Therefore, we're pleased to confirm that TrackMark accreditation and throws cage modification deadlines have been extended.
TrackMark
England Athletics and UK Athletics have agreed to extend the deadline for achieving TrackMark accreditation by 12 months, from 1st April 2021 to 1st April 2022. This has also been agreed across all other Home Country Athletics Federations.
Ed Hunt, England Athletics Facilities Manager, said: “TrackMark remains an important priority for UKA and all the Home Countries and great progress has been made by many UK facilities over the past 18 months. However, we recognise that venues will face many pressures when they re-open their doors and we wanted to be able to provide them with some breathing space and an extended period of time to get back to business as usual so we were fully supportive of UKAs proposal to push back deadlines by 12months.
“We wanted to ensure that our clubs and competition providers have access to as many facilities as possible for licensed events upon the resumption of competition; whilst remaining mindful that, even during these challenging times, we must ensure that venues are fit and safe for use by all of our clubs, athletes and officials.”
England Athletics drives the scheme in England and Facilities Manager, Ed Hunt, alongside a team of national Club Support Managers are on hand to support venue operators work through the TrackMark process. As the process is dependent upon external visits and inspections the process typically takes four to six months to complete, but although the scheme only commenced this year there are already 15 facilities that have already successfully achieved TrackMark with a further 160 actively working towards accreditation.
Throws cage safety
Licence level 2 competitions
As per UKAs Cage Safety Bulletin circulated in December 2019, all future licence level 2 events that include discus, hammer, weight or club throw are required to take place at a venue that has either a World Athletics specification cage or cage that meets the new UKA specification – this condition will remain in force once competition recommences.
Licence Level 1 competitions
With regards to licence level 1 events the December 2019 bulletin noted that all venues should meet either a World Athletics (IAAF) or NEW UKA cage specification OR be actively pursuing cage modification work (see excerpt from the December bulletin below):
“For those venues with a cage that doesn’t meet the new specification then, as an interim measure for the 2020 outdoor season, it was agreed that Level 1 licences would continue to be issued subject to formal confirmation from the event/competition applicant provider that a throws risk assessment had been carried out at the venue and that appropriate control measures introduced to bring any risks down to acceptable levels.”
However, in light of the current situation with regards to Covid19, UKA and all the HCAFs have agreed to extend this interim phase to also cover the 2021 season - effectively meaning that venues will have until the start of the 2022 outdoor season (a period of 2years), to bring their cage(s) into compliance.
The deadline for venues identified as priority 3 (i.e. venues that do not hold any licensed hammer/discus/weight/club competition) remains at April 2022.
Any queries can be directed to Ed Hunt ehunt@englandathletics.org (for clubs in England) or TrackMark@uka.org.uk