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Athletics

Athletics Icon

Athletics

Athletics offers the widest range of choice of any sport. It consists of various disciplines in both track and field based events.

Get Involved

An Overview of Athletics

Athletics events include:

  • Sprints
  • Long Distance Running
  • Walking
  • Jumping (such as long jump)
  • Throwing (such as shotput)

Events take place on and around a track or stadium.

Benefits

  • Improve stamina and muscle strength
  • Meet new people
  • Try lots of sports at once

Involvement

Athletics is a great inclusive sport. To find an athletics club in your area, use the BBS Activity Finder.

If you are interested in becoming a guide runner to support blind and partially sighted people to participate in athletics, you can find out more by visiting the Find a Guide page.

There are many athletics competitions for athletes with sight loss to compete in:

  • Mainstream (non-disability) competitions include county, regional and national championships, open meetings, league meetings, road races.
  • Integrated competitions (competitions with events for both disabled and non-disabled participants) include Parallel Success events and the England Athletics Championships.
  • Pan-disability competitions include regional and national championships.
  • Visually impaired specific competitions include Metro Blind Sport and Actionnaires events.

Information on all of these can be found online.

Sight classifications are important to ensure fair and equal competition. Success at competitions should be defined by an athlete's skill and ability, not their impairment. The sight classifications should give all athletes the confidence that they are competing against others equally.

Useful Links

Adaptations and Equipment

Equipment and adaptations will be made based on your level of vision.

Athletes who are blind or who are severely sight impaired generally run with a guide runner and will use a guide tether. In competitions, athletes wear eye patches and blind folds to ensure a level playing field across competitors. Athletes with partial vision generally run independently.

In field events, adaptations may include callers, people who help the athlete know which direction to run, jump, or throw.

BBS sell guide tethers and a range of high-visibility sportswear so that runners and guide runners can be easily seen and identified. You can purchase these items by visiting the BBS shop.

Find Athletics Clubs/Groups Near You

Use the search below to find local organisations near you.

National Governing Bodies

British Athletics

Contact Name
General Information
Contact Telephone
0121 713 8400

England Athletics

Contact Name
General Information
Contact Telephone
0121 347 6543
Contact Email
enquiries@englandathletics.org
Sport England

Sport England

Sport England is committed to helping people and communities across the country create sporting habits for life.

Moorways Sports Village and Water Park

Moorways Sports Village and Water Park

Moorways Sports Village and Water Park combines a water park and leisure centre with the Moorways Stadium to create a fantastic sports and leisure facility for the whole community.

Croft Church of England Primary School

Croft Church of England Primary School

Croft Church Of England Primary School is a small, family feel school who believe in a holistic approach to education so health and well being feature highly in our curriculum offer.

SportsCool Leicester

SportsCool Leicester

SportsCool Leicester are leading provider of school sport, holiday clubs and development sessions

Rocket Holiday Camps

Rocket Holiday Camps

Our Holiday clubs are 3 camps in 1, with stage, sports and solve, there is guaranteed to be an activity your child will love! We bring children together in fun, safe and active environments where they can try many activities and learn new skills

Fiesta Sports Coaching

Fiesta Sports Coaching

Creating a fun, engaging and safe sporting environment for children of all ages.

SASP Sport Welfare Officers Forum

SASP Sport Welfare Officers Forum

A online meeting for Sports Club Welfare & Safeguarding Officers based in Somerset.

You're invited to attend our club welfare forum for anyone involved in sport and physical activity in Somerset, but in particular those in your clubs who hold the role of 'club welfare officer' or 'safeguarding lead'.

If you're the Safeguarding or Welfare Officer at your Sports Club, please join Tracey Sweetland, Somerset Sport Welfare Officer at SASP to learn about local support and opportunities to assist you in your volunteer role.

SASP Sport Welfare Officers Forum

SASP Sport Welfare Officers Forum

A online meeting for Sports Club Welfare & Safeguarding Officers based in Somerset.

You're invited to attend our club welfare forum for anyone involved in sport and physical activity in Somerset, but in particular those in your clubs who hold the role of 'club welfare officer' or 'safeguarding lead'.

If you're the Safeguarding or Welfare Officer at your Sports Club, please join Tracey Sweetland, Somerset Sport Welfare Officer at SASP to learn about local support and opportunities to assist you in your volunteer role.

Lloyd Cowan Bursary

Lloyd Cowan Bursary

The Lloyd Cowan Bursary will support the next generation of UK athletes by awarding grants of up to £500 once a year. They will be available to coaches, and to unfunded athletes, aged 16-23, for whom cost is a barrier to accessing developmental opportunities in athletics.

England Athletics Club Improvement Fund

England Athletics Club Improvement Fund

The Club Improvement Fund will provide grants of up to £500 to support clubs with projects that aim to reduce some of the barriers current or future members are facing. England Athletics want to fund projects that will help clubs to provide a safe, sustainable and welcoming environment for their athletes and runners.

England Athletics Club Improvement Fund

England Athletics Club Improvement Fund

The Club Improvement Fund will provide grants of up to £500 to support clubs with projects that aim to reduce some of the barriers they are facing.

Registered Charity in England and Wales (1168093). A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 10009918. Registered office: 19 Coventry Road, Cubbington, Leamington Spa, CV32 7JN