CEO blog: an update on the new vision for track and field 

It's been an exciting few months for the sport which has seen England Athletics host our indoor athletics championships, with lots of personal best and even championship best performances, and we now look towards marathon season. I wanted to share some thoughts on England Athletics' response to the new vision for track and field, following internal discussions on how we can look to embed the principles and progress the ideas presented.

England Athletics has welcomed the publication of the independently led review into track and field participation, which serves to present a new vision for the sport as we look to the future. This work has since been discussed internally through our staff teams, socialised, and debated through our network of regional councils, at our England Council, and most recently by the Board of England Athletics.  

In articulating their vision for track and field, the group requested that the different components should be considered together  as complementary to one another, and not in isolation from each other as they are interconnecting and serving. In considering the vision, we have accepted this approach. 

Athletes and runners at the heart

We also believe that our current strategy, 'Athletes and Runners At The Heart', is directly aligned to many of the principles set out within the vision document and that there are a number of our existing plans and activities currently detailed within our annual operational delivery plans, that will make a positive impact to the challenges and opportunities faced if executed effectively.

We firmly believe that there are key areas of work related to the vision that we can take a direct lead on, controlling those aspects that we have direct responsibility for, such as how we organise and deliver our own national competitions and events, how we develop talent, how we educate and train coaches and officials, and in creating hub or cluster environments at a regional level. We are also well-placed to lead on advocacy, championing new ideas, celebrating success, and encouraging change with and throughout the wider sport.

We believe that there is a huge opportunity for local partners, particularly clubs and volunteer-led athletics competition providers, to take the research, and the vision document, and to make change that works for them. This change may look different in different parts of the country but overall adds up to a consistently improved and enhanced experience for those taking part in our sport, whatever ability, age, or background. England Athletics can play a role in encouraging this change, facilitating sharing and learning between providers of our sport, particularly through our Club Support network, and in showcasing best practice and success where it exists.  

We believe that true success over time will be realised in local partners feeling empowered to feel confident enough to seize the mantel and to make change that is positive but relevant and appropriate for them in their communities.  

Coming together to lead positive change

We would encourage clubs, and providers of our great sport to come together, to explore how this plan can take effect at a local level, and to lead the change in how our sport is delivered, particularly for our youngest participants. We believe that in many cases, local, and hyper-local, is preferential in terms of how our sport is delivered. We need to embrace partnerships with other sports whenever we can, involve participants in decision making, consult and listen to our audiences, embrace digital technology in presenting our sport, and work proactively to create opportunities for all participants to take part and compete on their own terms, ensuring there is something for everyone in what is a truly lifelong sport and activity that not only delivers performances but most importantly personal improvement, wellbeing, friendships, community, and belonging.  

We believe that our athletics and running clubs already serve as community hubs, as places where people can come together to learn, share, prosper, develop, and to help each other in their local environment and that further collaboration can only make the sport even stronger. We need to ensure that athletics and running is a sport and activity of choice, and not to be too concerned if participants can sometimes enjoy a transient relationship with our sport during the most challenging times in their personal journey.

We believe that we need to create environments where people can sometimes dip in and dip out of taking part, especially during the most challenging and pressured time in their lives. We need to present different entry routes to our sport and experiences that befit the needs of that person at that given time – social can be as important as performance and the pride of representing the club. 

In summary

England Athletics will integrate the vision report into its ongoing delivery plans. We will proof each aspect of the vision against our strategies to ensure that we are doing all we can to make decisions that have a positive impact upon participation levels in track and field. In 2026, we will prioritise a review of our Facilities and Participation strategies with this work in mind. We shall continue to revise the approach that we take to funding third party competition providers, check and challenge our existing competition licensing framework, and to robustly review our existing Club Standards and coaches and officials education pathway programmes. We will also continue to progress our digital ambitions, transforming the way in which England Athletics  activities can be experienced by those who take part in our sport. 

We will work proactively through our regional councils and our staff workforce to ensure that we involve young people more proactively in the organisation of our activities, we will embrace digital technology and transformation in all that we do, and we will look to take a lead in creating regional athletics hubs founded on partnership working with clubs, universities, local authorities, and other partners.

We will then use each regional hub as a centre of excellence to inform and inspire the development of other local sub-regional clusters of clubs to come together and follow suit, as environments where sharing, learning, and development can happen. We will foster and promote the importance of long-term athlete and participant development. We will always work to ensure that our sport is regulated but welcoming at all levels, that our sport is accessible for those who wish to volunteer in it, and that our pathways are easy to navigate through our qualification course programmes.

We will proactively create opportunities for clubs, and club leaders to come on this journey with us through the provision of forums, webinars, conferences and leadership programmes. We will look to create a movement for change in the sport that everyone can get behind to take our sport into the future and to safeguard track and field participation for generations to come.

We will champion modern governance at all levels of the sport and regulate this through our Club Standards programme and by creating opportunities for  people to get involved in taking this project forwards. 

Here, we have set out a number of key areas of existing focus and delivery that we believe contribute directly towards arresting the decline in participation but also in supporting growth and enhancing the experience of those engaged in the sport. 

Next steps for the vision

There will soon be an initial meeting for all those who have signed up to a sub-group, where the vision group will outline the process from here. The date and time of this meeting will be confirmed via email to all those signed up to sub-groups shortly, and a recording will be circulated afterwards to those who cannot attend.

Finally, ahead of the age group changes coming into effect on 1 April 2026, it's important to make sure we're all prepared for the transition. Visit our age group changes webpage for all the information you need to get ready - this has now been categorised into information relevant to you.

Thanks for reading, and here’s to a successful spring and summer track and field season.

Best wishes

Chris