Results from General Meeting

Today’s England Athletics General Meeting saw the two special resolutions fail to gain sufficient support to be carried forward.

Vote Breakdown:

Resolution 1

Votes For: 228 votes (47%)*

Votes Against: 255 votes (53%)

Resolution 2

Votes for: 249 votes (52%)*

Votes Against: 233 votes (48%)

*To pass, a special resolution required 75% of the total number of votes of the members participating in the meeting to vote FOR the resolutions.

As a result, England Athletics will continue to work with all stakeholders towards implementing the agreed rule changes in 2026, as it is currently doing, in the best interests of young people and their participation in the sport.

England Athletics Chair, Gary Shaughnessy, said:

“To address big issues and ensure the sustainability of the sport, we must make bold decisions. We firmly believe that changing the age groups is a vital piece of the jigsaw in modernising and strengthening the sport, and we are pleased that we can continue to press ahead with our implementation plans.

“We have listened to and recognise concerns around the changes, and we remain determined to facilitate a collaborative implementation plan, which will see the opinions and questions of all stakeholders taken into account as we prepare for these changes to come into effect in April 2026.

“We would like to thank everyone who participated in this vote and the previous consultation process. The passion that exists for the sport is clear, and as your governing body, we will do everything in our power to continue to harness this passion and drive the sport forward, working collaboratively for the good of all involved.”