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Katerina Sobey

Finding her place on the track: Katerina's officiating journey

Katerina Sobey came into athletics through her children training at North Devon Athletics Club. A club coach approached her at a local meeting and asked for some help. Because she had previously noticed that nearly all the timekeepers at events she attended were men, she happily volunteered to help the timekeeper team and try to reset the gender balance there. We found out more about her officiating journey.
Starter Hannah Partington and niece

Helping grass roots athletics through officiating

Hannah Partington is based in Falmouth in Cornwall and recently gained her Level 2 Starter / Starter's Assistant qualification. She explains how she began, how her officiating journey has progressed and what she's gained from it.
Two female officials looking at a clipboard

Top tips for officials to prepare for age group changes

From 1 April 2026, England Athletics will introduce the new competition age groups (U12, U14, U16, U18, U20), replacing the existing U13/U15/U17 model. These changes aim to improve long‑term athlete development, simplify progression, and align better with school years. Here are our top tips to help officials prepare and support their athletes smoothly through the transition.
Pat Green 2

Pat Green: 1931-2025

England Athletics is saddened to hear of the passing of Pat Green, former chair of North of England AA and life vice-president of the AAA of England, aged 93.

Coreen Beckford stepping down as OEMG Chair after a successful 18 months

Coreen Beckford has chaired the Officials Education Management Group for the past 18 months, during which time they have made significant progress in advancing officiating qualifications, overcoming challenges, and establishing a clear plan for the year ahead.

Introducing Coreen Beckford: Chair of the Officials Education Management Group

England Athletics have recently brought onboard Coreen Beckford as Chair of the Officials Education Management Group (OEMG). With a keen interest in athletics, and a qualified official herself, we are very excited to bring Coreen into this role and look forward to seeing her get stuck in.

The Officiating Family - John, Tom and Kate

With the outdoor track and field season in full swing we managed to catch up with an officiating family; father, son and daughter trio to find out how officiating became such a big part of their family.
Lewis and Deb

What makes officiating so special?

At our recent England Senior and Para Championships, we caught up with two officials who are at the beginning of their National Championships journey to see why they chose officiating, and what they love most about being involved in our sport.