Recommended distance for Cross Country competitions for young athletes
Competition organisers should use these distances as guidelines and ensure that any competition offered provides the appropriate distances and activities for the level of athlete present. This should take into consideration their physical and developmental age.
| School Year in 2026/27 competition Year | Age on day | Age group in 2026/27 (from October 2026) | Recommended distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 5 | 9-10 | Under 12 | 3000m |
| Year 6 | 10-11 | Under 12 | 3000m |
| Year 7 | 11-12 | Under 14 | 4000m |
| Year 8 | 12-13 | Under 14 | 4000m |
| Year 9 | 13-14 | Under 16 | 5000m |
| Year 10 | 14-15 | Under 16 | 5000m |
| Year 11 | 15-16 | Under 18 | 8000m |
| Year 12 | 16-17 | Under 18 | 8000m |
| Year 12 | 16-17 | Under 20 | 10,000m |
| Year 13 | 17-18 | Under 20 | 10,000m |
Recommended guidelines (primary to secondary)
Please note that the U13 – U17 age groups differ in terms of school years for Track & Field and Cross Country competitions. This is due to when the age groups change, with Track & Field changing at the end of the competition year and Cross Country (CC) changing at the start of the competition year.
An example of this is: An U13 Track & Field athlete would be a maximum age of 12 years at 31 August for the upper age group, but an U13 Cross Country athlete could be 13 on the 1 September.