May 2026: Performance round up
The track and field season is well and truly underway, with May featuring competitions of all levels from County Championships to the Loughborough International and the start of the Diamond League. England teams have competed across the UK and Europe - let's catch up with all the action:
Return of Loughborough International
The May sunshine did not disappoint as the Loughborough International returned for 2026! With a jam packed season still to come, there was plenty to play for with England finishing triumphant on top. The team was an excellent mix of England debutants and previous Commonwealth Games team members.
Para athletes shine in Nottwil
The World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil is one of the highlights of the World Para Athletics calendar, and this year we saw some exceptional performances from the nine-strong team of para athletes, selected from the England Talent Pathway. The team was captained by Ellis Kottas (Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer) who will be heading to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games this summer.
Road running team returns to Italy
Kicking off the month on 1 May, an England under-20 team headed to Italy to compete in the ninth edition of the Trofeo Opitergium European U20 Road Races. Taking place over 10km for the men and 5k for the women, the race passes through the roads of Oderzo in Northern Italy. Seb Melero (Saint Edmund Pacers) was the first English male athlete home in only his second 10k - finishing ninth in 31:19. Eleanor Foster (North Devon AC, Mark Brace) led home the England women in 12th place in 16:54.
Talent pathway athletes taking Europe by storm
For the first time this year, we're delighted to have sent throws athletes to compete at Halplus Werfertage (Halle Throws) and combined events athletes to Fuerteventura. Closer to home in Loughborough athletes were competing at the Pickering Memorial International. The team included 10 athletes who already held qualification marks for European U18s and World U20 Championships so it was an exciting competition to watch.
Halle is considered the home of throwing, so it was a rewarding experience for the athletes on the Youth Talent Programme (YTP). The developmental squad stepped up to secure multiple podium finishes, European qualifying standards, and personal bests.
Race walkers beating the heat in Madrid
A relatively new event on the calendar, the Madrid Marcha has become the stage for exceptional racers, attracting some of the best race walkers from all over the world. The England team had varying levels of experience: for some it was their England debut, and others were aiming for championship qualification with all performing exceptionally well in very hot conditions.
Masters 10k debut at Bideford 10k
Bideford AAC became the first England Athletics affiliated club to host a Masters programme representative race - and what a 10k race it turned out to be. First home was England’s Alex Gibb (M35, Peterborough and Nene Valley AC) in 31:04.2, which also gave him the overall race win. This feat was replicated in the women's race as Christa Cain (W35, Best Athletics) stormed to victory in 35:07.5 which was also a new course record. See the full team results and read the report.
County Championships
For many athletes, the County Championships is their season opener - and it was fantastic to see so many athletes out enjoying the sport across England. The England Athletics Club Support Team were out and about at a range of counties across the country, catch up with them here.
Upcoming England teams
With the season in full swing, there's plenty of exciting teams and competitions coming up:
- 7 June: Masters Half Marathon (Swansea)
- 21 June: International U18 Mountain Running Cup (Italy)