Restrictions on competitions, formal club activities and running groups extended to May 31

All athletics activity within the UK will be suspended until June at the earliest due to further restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The home country athletics federations and UK Athletics (UKA) initially announced that all planned in-person and face-to-face organised activity should not take place until the end of April, but that has now been extended to the end of May.

The suspension includes competitions, training activities, formal club activities, running groups and any educational or development activity such as coaching and officiating.

“These decisions have not been taken lightly and have been made in light of the continuing and real risk to life and to the NHS posed by the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the UK. We must now do all we can do,” said UKA.

“We would ask that the athletics community in the UK continues to help one another by staying connected and supportive of each other whilst at home in these unprecedented times.

“We will continue to review the situation in line with government and public health guidance.”

News of the further restrictions on UK athletics activity came on the same day that it was announced that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be moved to 2021.

Events in Britain which will be affected by the suspension through May include the first two weekends of the inaugural National Athletics League, the BUCS Championships, Loughborough International, Vitality London 10,000 and Westminster Mile.

See the March 26 edition of AW magazine for a list of major calendar changes caused by the coronavirus so far.

At a time of such uncertainty, some of Britain’s elite athletes have shared insight with AW into their own experiences, offering advice to those who may be in similar situations. Click here to read more.