League – highest priority team competitions
Fixtures for league matches can be found here. Keep these dates clear in your diaries.
Heart of England League (U11 – U17)
Background: Our main team event over the summer. Each athlete scores points based on their position in their event. The totals are calculated and the winning teams gain promotion. We are aiming for promotion out of league 3 this season (2022). More information is available on their website here.
Scoring system: The higher you place in an event, the more points you score. Promotion and relegation is determined by totalling the U13, U15 and U17 points totals. The U11s competition is scored in the same way, but is a separate competition. We are also REQUIRED to provide officials and we are penalised points if we don’t! Please ask about becoming an official.
Selection process: You will be selected to compete for the club based on your performance in competition and training. You will be informed of your selection at least 1 week in advance of the competition. Events cover a full range of track and field.
West Midland Young Athletes Cross Country League (U11 – U17)
Background: The West Midland Young Athlete Cross Country League is the strongest cross country league in the UK for younger age group athletes. The cross country league consists of 5 events. 1 per month taking place over the winter months (October – February). from U11’s and upwards. Boys and girls are run as separate races. For more information on the league, view the website here.
Scoring system: The first 5 per club per age group score points, with the exception of the U17s, where the first 3 per club score. The higher you place, the more points you score. Our primary aim is to fill all age groups with point scorers.
Distances/Timetable: 11.00am U17 Women (4000m), 11.25am U11 Boys (1600m), 11.40am U17 Men (4800m), 12.05pm U11 Girls (1600m), 12.20pm U15 Boys (3200m), 12.40pm U13 Girls (2500m), 13.00pm U13 Boys (2500m), 13.20pm U15 Girls (3200m)
Selection process: To represent the club, you must opt-in with our XC team manager. You can do that by e-mailing here.
Birmingham Sportshall League (U11 – U15)
Background: An indoor sportshall athletics league that takes place over the winter months. Juniors that perform well in the Birmingham events are invited to represent Birmingham in the national finals (subject to their regional team winning). We have had a number of athletes selected to take part in the nationals and they have performed well against some of the best young athletes in the country. Field events include standing long jump, vertical jump, shot putt and standing triple jump. Many of the running events are run as relays, but there are also individual runs too. For more information, please see here.
Selection process: You will be selected to compete for the club based on your performance in competition and training. You will be informed of your selection at least 1 week in advance of the competition
Championships
You are required to enter these events on your own, you can find details of upcoming championships here.
County championships (U13+)
Level: These are the first stepping stones to higher level competition and should be considered by all our club members.
Entry criteria: The county that you enter is based on where you live. Most of our athletes take part in either the Warwickshire or Worcestershire county championships.
Track & Field: The u13s take part in a quadrathlon (100m, long jump, howler throw, 800m). The U15s+ can select the events from a full program of track and field events. Usually takes place in May.
Cross country: Takes place in January. You are entered by the cross-country team manager. Please e-mail here if you want to take part.
Regional championships (Midlands) (U13+)
Level: These are a more advanced level of competition than the county championships. You should be familiar with competing before entering this level of competition. If you are in doubt, speak to your coach. For U13s, the event is a quadrathlon. For U15s+ a full range of events is available to enter. For more information, see their website here.
Track & Field: The u13s take part in a quadrathlon (100m, long jump, howler throw, 800m). The U15s+ can select the events from a full program of track and field events. Usually takes place in May.
Cross country: Takes place in January. You are entered by the cross-country team manager. Please e-mail here if you want to take part.
National Championships (U15+)
For track & field, it is necessary to achieve a qualifying performance before entry is permitted. Senior and U20 championships are usually held in June/July and U15/U17 Championships in August.
Schools Championships
You are required to enter these competitions via the West Midlands School’s team managers. All club members should consider entering the Birmingham school competitions.
Track & Field schools’ championships (Year 7+)
The English Schools Championships is one of the major events of the calendar. To be selected to represent the county, you must obtain a qualifying standard. These can be seen in the ‘entry’ column in this document.
For track and field, the progression is generally Birmingham schools championships -> West Midlands schools championships -> English schools championships.
These 3 competitions take place in May, June and July respectively.
Note that your region is determined by where you go to school, so it may differ from the above.
Cross-country schools’ championships (Year 7+)
For cross-country, the progression is West Midlands schools championships -> English schools championships.
These 2 competitions take place in January & March respectively.
Open Meetings
You are required to enter these competitions by yourself. You can find a list of open meetings here.
Open meetings are a good place to practice in a non-championship and non-league setting. Some open meetings have medals on offer and others don’t. These are a good place to start gaining competition practice, this is especially true for newer or younger athletes.