Age Group implementation update

As the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs) continue to work alongside stakeholders to implement the age-group changes which will come into effect in April 2026, Implementation Project Co-ordinator, Dean Hardman, provides an update on recent progress.

As the track and field season finds itself in full swing, so too does the process of co-ordinating the implementation of the new age groups. If March and April were spent largely delivering webinars and forums and eliciting feedback from the sport, May and June have involved further detailed discussions and the formation of smaller working groups tasked with considering the various challenges that will be overcome as the sport builds towards the new age groups coming into effect in April 2026.

Creation of sub-groups

The response to the invitation to express interest in contributing to the sub-groups was positive, with colleagues from across the sport and from around the UK offering to support the work. So, it’s been fantastic to see the work gather pace and momentum in recent weeks.

The members of the sub-groups will all contribute huge amounts of knowledge, insight and experience, helping us to ensure that the way that these changes take effect will benefit everyone within the sport. All of the members are experienced, passionate voices from across the sport, and we are delighted with the make-up of each group.

The five groups are:

• Off-Track
• Competition
• Technical Events
• Records/Technology
• Para

All focus on an area of the sport which we believe needs tailored and specific consideration when looking at the implementation of the changes.

The Technical Events sub-group met on June 17, and reflected on the work already carried out and presented at the webinars and on the forums – going through event progressions through the age groups and issues such as race distances, implement weights and hurdle heights. This work is close to completion and will form the basis of the first iteration of the Implementation Plan that will be published later this summer.

The Competitions and Records/Technology groups also met in June and the feedback from those will be collated ahead of further meetings in July. The Off-Track group will meet in early July and work is also underway to consider any issues related to para athletics.

Each group is considering aspects of the age group change specific to their own particular area, as well as the impact on volunteers and any risks they are able to identify.

Further work

Therefore, work continues and will do so between now and October, during which time there will be further check and challenge, amendments to current proposals and plans and solutions to issued identified.

We expect to publish a full status update at the end of July, with a final plan published in the autumn, and the sub-groups and the wider task group will remain involved throughout.

As ever, anyone with specific comments or observations can email trackandfieldproject@englandathletics.org.