UK athletics age groups explained

If the age group your child or you compete in sounds different from what you remember, that is not a mistake. UK Athletics changed the age group names from 1 April 2026, so both the old and new terms are still floating around clubs and results sheets.

The current age groups

From April 2026 onwards, the age groups under UK Athletics rules are U12, U14, U16, U18, U20, Senior, and Masters. For U12 through U18, the cut off date is 31 August within the competition year. The U20 upper cut off is 31 December in the calendar year of competition, and you are a Senior once you are 20 or over on 31 December in the competition year.

What it used to be

Before the change, the groups were U11, U13, U15, U17, U20 and Senior, using two-year bands with different naming. If you see U11 or U15 mentioned on an older club page or a results archive, that is the previous system rather than an error.

The competition year also changed

Rather than running by calendar year, the competition year now runs from 1 October to 30 September, so athletes stay in the same age group across cross country, road, indoor and outdoor track and field for that full period, moving up a group only at the start of the next competition year.

Sportshall and younger children

Below U12, competition is generally handled through school-age formats like Sportshall athletics rather than standard track and field age groups, and England Athletics' funetics programme covers structured sessions for 4 to 11 year olds. See our guide to what a first athletics session for kids actually looks like.

Masters

At the other end, Masters athletics starts at 35, competed in five-year bands (35 to 39, 40 to 44, and so on) with no upper limit. See our full guide to Masters athletics in the UK.