Outdoor season on way with National Opener for Senior, U20, U18

Wednesday 25th March 2026

Entries will open later this week for the 4J National Outdoor Season Opener at Linwood on Saturday 9 May.

This event provides an early-season opportunity for Senior, U20 and U18 athletes to test themselves against high-level competition.

This year’s meeting will also introduce the National Mixed 4x400m Relay Championships, contested for the first time and offering the season’s first medal opportunity for sprinters.

Taking place just a week after the World Relay Championships, where two Scottish athletes will compete for GB and NI, the event provides a timely link between the international and domestic relay calendar and promises a dynamic, tactical contest.

What to expect?

High-level competition across sprints, hurdles, middle-distance, jumps and throws
Entry standards to ensure strong fields: athletes must have achieved the published benchmarks in the past two years
Horizontal jumps and throws to include at least four trials, or more if entry numbers allow
Relays are submitted via club administrators, with squads finalised through OpenTrack

Athletes must hold current scottishathletics membership or membership with their home National Governing Body.

Athletes must also have a date of birth in 2010 or earlier. Relay teams must represent an affiliated Scottish club.

Entry is limited to those seeking a higher-level challenge early in the season, complementing the opportunities offered for U12–U16 athletes through the Regional and District programmes.

Entry Standards

The Season Opener is for athletes who have achieved the following performance standards within the last two years. These standards help ensure a competitive field and a high-quality competition experience for all participants. There are no set standards for para events, but athletes should be experienced and comfortable competing at this level.

	Male	Female
100m	11.60	13.10
200m	23.50	26.50
400m	53.00	63.00
800m	2:00.00	2:25.00
1500m	4:00.00	5:00.00
2000SC or 1500m	7:30.00 5:00.00	9:00.00 5:30.00
5000m	17:00.00	20:00.00
Sprint Hurdles	18.00	18.00
400mH	63.00	73.00
Long Jump	5.70	4.75
High Jump	1.65	1.45
Triple Jump	11.50	9.50
Shot Put	10.00	8.00
Discus	28.00	25.00
Hammer	30.00	27.00
Javelin	36.00	25.00