Athletics In The South-West

Describing the sport of Athletics
in Avon, Cornwall, Devon,
Dorset, Gloucestershire,
Somerset and Wiltshire.

News From The South-West

April 2026: New 700gm Javelin Specification
Under the latest UKA Rules, only 700gm Javelins of the new specification will be accepted for competition. The dispensation which applied for the 2025 season no longer applies.
 
December 2025: A Bit About Starters

Starters? They just fire their guns a few times and go home, don't they?

Well, for one thing, they need to Maintain Their Pistols.


Increasingly, Electronic Start Systems are in use. Most are compatible with electronic time keeping, photo finish and false start systems and can be added to a club's existing facilities. Initially, there were concerns that athletes may take time to get used to the sound of the 'bang' and timekeepers to the flash of the 'gun'. However, there are two main reasons for welcome the gun-alternatives:
  • UKA are under pressure from the Home Office to phase out firearms, and individual police forces are putting more stringent requirements on starters with guns.
  • New starters may not need to go through firearms licence bureaccracy.

However, the system needs to be set up at the particular meeting. Welsh Athletics have published a YouTube video showing How To Do It

 
September 2025: EA Volunteer Awards -- South-West
The 2025 EA South-West Volunteer Awards results were announced at the EA South-West Conference (Saturday September 27th, Devon Hotel, Exeter).

The winning SW nominations in each category will be considered for the EA National Volunteer awards.

Award Winners In Recent Seasons
2025    
2022 2023 2024
2019 2020 2021
 
April 2024: County Officials Secretaries
South-West Schools Officials Secretary: Irene Brown
 
October 2021: EA South-West Conference (Virtual)
The 2021 EA South-West Conference was held virtually on Saturday 16th October; the draft Notes of the Conference are Here.

The 2020 EA South-West Conference was held virtually on Saturday 31st October; the draft Notes of the Conference are Here.
 
August 2020: Athletics History Websites
Athletics Museum

The Athletics Museum Website. An on-line collection of athletics nostalgia, inculding from past English Schools meetings.


Okay, City of Hull AC scarcely counts as a South-West club, but its website has an excellent Athletics History section, with earlier pages covering events well beyond Humberside.


A Bit Off Course -- Another Athletics History Website