Inter County Track and Field Championships to return to Alexander Stadium
We are pleased to confirm that the County Athletic Union Inter County Championships will be held in conjunction with the England Athletics Senior and Under-20 Championships in Birmingham (19-21 July).
Background to the championships
The Inter County Track and Field Championships date all the way back to 1925, where a meeting was held with athletes from Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex. Following this, the County Athletics Union was formed in February 1926 with the very first Inter County Cross Country Championships following in April 1926.
From their inception in 1925 through to the late sixties, apart from the war years 1940–1946, the UK CAU Intercounty Track and Field Championships were a major international fixture held annually during the May bank holiday.
From 2007, the Inter Country Track and Field Championships have been held as part of the England Athletics Senior Championships. This was the case until 2020, when the combination of the pandemic, the Commonwealth Games, and a packed summer season meant that the championships were not reinstated until summer 2024.
Celebrating county level athletics
The chance for an athlete to represent their county provides a relevant steppingstone in their athletics journey. Athletes of all ages have continued to benefit from the Inter County Championship for cross country, while many younger athletes have been able to represent their counties on a regional inter county basis in track and field.
For many athletes gaining a county vest may be the peak of their athletics careers, for many more it is an important confidence boost in furthering their international careers with many members of the England and Great Britain teams past and present having previously competed for their county.
2024 Inter County Track and Field Championships information
the County Athletics Union Intercounty Championships will be held in conjunction with the England Athletics Senior and Under-20 Championships in Birmingham (19-21 July).
Each County Association will have their own selection policies and can be contacted via their own websites. County team sheets can be emailed prior to the championships or declared on the day. Each county will be able to select two athletes per event with one athlete contributing towards the team score.
Presentations will take place for the England Championships and then there will be separate individual medals for the three highest placed Inter Counties athletes. There will be an award for the first women’s team and the first men’s team, and one for best overall team performance.
Any queries regarding how the championships will work can be directed to the following:
- Arwel Williams - arwelwilliams@aol.com Â
- Fi Lancaster - fiona.lancaster@btinternet.com