Age Group category changes . . . coming soon in Scotland

Saturday 14th June 2025

Age groups in the UK are changing in 2026, and we are delighted to offer further information on how these changes will be implemented to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for all athletes affected.

From 1 April next year, the sport across the UK will move to under-even age groups.

To prepare for this, the 2025-26 indoor track and field season will change early in Scotland to allow athletes competing indoors next year to prepare for the upcoming outdoor season in their new under-even age groups.

Changes will be introduced in other disciplines, such as cross country, road running, hill and trail running from April 2026.

Age Group Checker

To help you to understand how the changes will impact you (or your child), a simple online age group checker has been created.

Enter your/your child’s date of birth into the checker, and you will be shown which age group you/your child will compete in in each competition year as the changes to age groups are introduced.

https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/events/age-group-changes/age-group-checker/

In this example, an athlete with a date of birth in May 2012 has been competing in the U13 age group during the latest cross country season, and in the U15 age group on the track.

They will continue to compete in the U15 age group in track and field this Summer, and U13 for any remaining road races.
In Autumn 2025, they will move up into the U15 age group for cross country, and will begin to compete in the U16 age group on the track.
In Autumn 2026, their age groups across the disciplines will align. They will compete as a Year 2 U16 in all disciplines from Autumn 2026.
In Autumn 2027, they will move up to the U18 age group (Year 1) in all disciplines.

This checker focuses on the transitions within Track and Field and Cross Country/Road as these disciplines have the highest participation numbers, particularly in the younger age groups.

Hill running already uses calendar-year age-group cut-off dates, and will move to under-even age groups in 2026. Trail running will follow the same transition as Hill.

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Age Group Specifications

scottishathletics are now pleased to be able to share further information on the hurdles specifications, throws implement weights and other adaptations relevant to age group progressions.

The UK Home Countries Age Group Working Group and the UK Athletics Technical Advisory Group have proposed the new specifications be implemented following the change to age groups after extensive consultation with athletes, coaches and the wider sport. A document summarising the proposed new specifications can be downloaded below.

The new specifications will also be included in the next edition of the UKA rule book, due for publication in April 2026.

https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/events/age-group-changes/technical-specifications/

With technical specifications now in place, progressions through the age groups and alignment with the competition offering across Scotland are under review. A further update on competition proposals will follow this Summer.

Thanks for your support.