The UK Athletics Championships was an annual national championship in track and field for the United Kingdom, organised by the British Athletics Federation. The event incorporated the 1980 Olympic trials for the British Olympic team. The venue for the event was rotational and designed to be inclusive – all four Home Nations hosted the event during its twenty-year existence, as well as several areas of England.
Created in 1977 and open only to British athletes, the event was initiated to provide an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign athletes and was organised by an English amateur organisation. The event failed to displace the long-established AAA event and did not attract the nation's best athletes. The event was not part of a formal international selection process and the competition's early scheduling in the calendar was not conducive to participation; the event often took place in May, which was well before the peak of the track and field season in August and early September.UK Championships. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-02-25.UK Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-02-25.AAA WAAA and National Championships Medalists. NUTS. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
The annual format ceased after 1993. The British Athletics Federation organised a "British Championships" event in 1997, which proved to be the most important domestic competition that season. The bankruptcy of the British Athletics Federation that same year effectively rendered the competition defunct.Memorandum submitted by the Association of British Athletic Clubs - THE DEMISE OF BRITISH ATHLETICS FROM GRASS ROOTS TO ELITE. Parliament. Retrieved 2018-02-25. Both the UK Championships, and the AAA Championships would later be superseded by the British Athletics Championships, organised by UK Athletics – the government-led successor organisation to the British Athletics Federation.
Events The following athletics events featured as standard on the UK Athletics Championships programme:
Sprint: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m Distance track events: 800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m Hurdles: 100 m hurdles (women only), 110 m hurdles (men only), 400 m hurdles, 3000 m steeplechase (men only) Jumps: long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault Throws: shot put, discus, hammer, javelin Racewalking: 5000 m walk (women only), 10,000 metres walk (men only)
A men's 3000 metres was contested from 1989 to 1993, while the women's event lasted from 1977 to 1992, being the standard distance event for women at the time. Women raced over 5000 m from 1982 to 1997, with interruptions in 1986–87 and 1990–93. The men's 10,000 metres was stopped after 1988, with a one-off re-instatement in 1997. Women raced over that distance in 1986 and 1997 only. The men's and women's walking events were first introduced at the 1980 edition, though were dropped as a one-off at the 1992 edition. The women's walk was also dropped from the programme for the 1982 championships.
The javelin model used in the men's event changed to the international standard in 1986. In line with international changes, the women's programme gradually expanded to match the men's, with the first triple jump championship held in 1990, then the first women's pole vault and hammer throw UK champions being crowned in 1993.
Editions YearCityVenueNotes1977CwmbranCwmbran Stadium1978EdinburghMeadowbank Stadium1979BirminghamAlexander Stadium1980LondonCrystal Palace Athletics StadiumOlympic TrialsMeadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh hosted the women's 1500 m and men's 800 m and 5000 m1981AntrimAntrim Stadium1982CwmbranCwmbran Stadium1983EdinburghMeadowbank Stadium1984CwmbranCwmbran Stadium1985AntrimAntrim Stadium1986CwmbranCwmbran Stadium1987DerbyMoorways StadiumGateshead International Stadium hosted the men's 10,000 m1988DerbyMoorways Stadium1989JarrowMonkton Stadium1990CardiffCardiff Athletics Stadium1991CardiffCardiff Athletics Stadium1992SheffieldSheffield Hallam UCA Stadium1993LondonCrystal Palace StadiumBedford International Stadium hosted the racewalks1997BirminghamAlexander StadiumSheffield Hallam UCA Stadium hosted the 10,000 m
Most successful athletes by event EventMenMen's titlesWomenWomen's titles100 metresLinford Christie6Heather Oakes4200 metresJohn Regis4Kathy Smallwood-Cook4400 metresPhil Brown3Joslyn Hoyte-SmithLinda Keough3800 metresPeter Elliott3Christina Boxer41500 metresSteve OvettAlan MottersheadNeil HorsfieldSteve Crabb2Hilary HollickGillian DaintyBev NicholsonAlison Wyeth23000 metres No multiple champions —Liz McColgan35000 metresEamonn MartinSimon Mugglestone2Angela Tooby210,000 metresDave Black3 No multiple champions —3000 m steeplechaseKevin Capper3 No multiple champions —110/100 m hurdlesWilbert GreavesTony JarrettColin Jackson3Shirley StrongKay Morley3400 m hurdlesMax Robertson4Elaine McLaughlin3High jumpGeoff ParsonsDalton Grant3Diana Davies4Pole vaultAndy Ashurst5 No multiple champions —Long jumpDerrick Brown4Mary BerkeleyFiona May3Triple jumpAston Moore5Michelle Griffith2Shot putPaul Edwards5Judy Oakes10Discus throwPaul Mardle6Venissa HeadJackie McKernan5Hammer throwPaul Head7 No multiple champions —Javelin throwDavid OttleyMick Hill5Fatima Whitbread8Race walkIan McCombie5Lisa Langford3
Multiple champions A total of 18 athletes won five or more titles at the UK Athletics Championships. Women's shot putter Judy Oakes won the most titles overall, with ten national wins. Linford Christie was the most successful man, with eight titles across the 100 metres and 200 metres.
AthleteTitlesEventsJudy Oakes Shot put 10Linford Christie 100 metres, 200 metres 8Fatima Whitbread Javelin throw 8Paul Head Hammer throw 7Paul Mardle Discus throw 6Heather Hunte 100 metres, 200 metres 6Kathy Smallwood-Cook 100 metres, 200 metres 5Paula Dunn 100 metres, 200 metres 5Christina Boxer 800 metres, 1500 metres 5Liz McColgan 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres 5Paul Edwards Shot put 5Venissa Head Shot put, Discus throw 8Jackie McKernan Discus throw 5David Ottley Javelin throw 5Mick Hill Javelin throw 5Ian McCombie 10,000 metres walk 5Aston Moore Triple jump 5Andy Ashurst Pole vault 5
See also List of British athletics champions
References