Top tips for clubs to prepare for the upcoming age group changes
From 1 April 2026, the age groups in which young athletes compete will change from U13, U15, U17 and U20, as is currently the case, to U12, U14, U16, U18 and U20. These changes are grounded in a desire to support athletes with their progression through the sport.
The indoor track and field season and the upcoming cross country season will operate under the current rules and age groups, with the change coming into effect on 1 April 2026.
We recently posted some top tips for athletes and parents to prepare for the changes, and we’ll be following with top tips for competition providers, coaches and officials too.
Here are our top tips to help prepare clubs for the changes:
📋 Know your club’s new athlete breakdown early
Use our Age Group Calculator to identify which athletes will move into new categories from 1 April 2026. This will help with planning training groups, competition entries, and resource allocation.
🧠 Understand what’s changing and why
Read through our FAQs to understand how the changes affect different disciplines.
🎯 Review and update equipment inventory
Ensure your club has the correct equipment ready for the new age group implements - including hurdles, shot puts, javelins, and other discipline-specific equipment for track and field clubs.
Click here to review new implements
In producing the recommended hurdle heights and implement weights, care has been taken to propose implements for each of the new age groups that are already in wide use across the sport.
Where discussions with implement manufacturers are needed (e.g. around 60cm hurdles), these are taking place.
If clubs need assistance in financing new equipment for the new age group implements, you can apply for our Club Improvement Fund.
👥 Adapt training groups and session plans
Consider the impact of the changes on training groups to ensure athletes are training with their peers in similar new age groups and for the correct race distances and events.
💬 Brief your coaches and officials
Make sure all coaches, team managers, and officials are aware of the changes and understand how they affect competition rules, athlete eligibility, and event formats.
Encourage club volunteers to read the FAQs and attend webinars or drop-in sessions hosted by England Athletics. Share key documents like the simplified age group table and technical guidance.
📲 Communicate clearly with members
Keep athletes and parents informed about the upcoming changes through newsletters, social media, and club meetings.
🗣️ Join the conversation
Book a place on our scheduled drop-in sessions on 11 November and 10 December (6–7pm) to ask questions and get clarity.
Submit questions in advance via email to: trackandfieldproject@englandathletics.org
The objectives of the changes are to:
- Simplify age group dates for all disciplines
- Support athletes in their long-term development
- Retain and recruit more young people in athletics
- Provide a clear, simplified pathway for all areas of the sport, from U10s to Seniors
- Provide better gradual progression for all athletics events
- And in creating an additional age group, better support age and stage appropriate competition formats & events
It’s important to point out that the age group changes alone are not viewed as the sole answer to the challenges we face as a sport in retaining and recruiting athletes and are part of a wider approach to arresting participation decline and increasing the number of young people engaged in track and field particularly.
Learn more about the age group changes