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Thread: Age groups

  1. #1

    Age groups

    I realise that most of the junior stuff has migrated to facebook but as I have no wish to engage with that this is my means to communicate.
    Just reading the junior bit in the Fellrunner around forthcoming changes to age cats fro 2017 raises a couple fo questions. Firstly just to say I am not opposed to bringing it all into line with other disciplines - it makes perfect sense but in doing so there is some clarifciation.
    We appear to have lost a age group. Obvioulsy there may still be the U20/u23 groups to be slotted in but it may mean that actually if the lower one doesnt materialise then we have gone from 6 to 5 groups. I'm assuming that some runners in an U20 age groupwont be 18 and thus there will still need to be an upper distance limit applied? Can I also ask whether the distances permittted will remain the sam so 1km for youngest age group through to 10k for U20 or will there be any change to these.
    Can I also suggest we look at making ALL age groups points scorers in the English Champs so there are champions throughout, if there isnt a change around this which age group will they start scoring ponits, is it U11 or U13?
    I'm sure the answers to all this will be perfectly clear and have probably been written down somewhere already and if they have sorry for missing them.
    "Moors are a stage for the performance of heaven"

  2. #2
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    I haven't a clue what you are on about CCR.
    Is this official info? If so it would be nice for it to be published somewhere for all in athletics to see.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  3. #3
    Yes its written in the junior section (p20)of the latest Fellrunner - thi smay have come out a while ago but I only just renewed my membership so recieved it yesterday. Proposed changes for 2017.
    "Moors are a stage for the performance of heaven"

  4. #4
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clash City Rocker View Post
    Yes its written in the junior section (p20)of the latest Fellrunner - thi smay have come out a while ago but I only just renewed my membership so recieved it yesterday. Proposed changes for 2017.
    Changes to what though? Champs format, all races, rules, distances?
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  5. #5
    Lookinga t changing to U11 u13 u15 u17 and then maybe u120 and u23. No comment on anything else so maybe no further changes proposed. I was just asking for clarification around the thinking and whether it would necessitate any further changes to distance etc. Age will be based on age at end of year of the race.
    "Moors are a stage for the performance of heaven"

  6. #6
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Probably due to UKA adopting the IAAF rulebook. I doubt it will be the only issue arising.
    I'm just puzzled as to why it's in Fellrunner. I wouldn't expect UKA to announce plans or policy in Athletics Weekly or Runners World.
    Perhaps I missed the official announcement.?

  7. #7
    This article was brought to my attention by one of our parents; he couldn't work out what group his daughter would move into next year and was concerned that she'd be running significantly further than she was used to.
    It is a bit off that it's not publicised anywhere else; something on the FRA website would have been appropriate. I've considered contacting Duncan about it but experience of how the FRA operates suggests that he probably knows nothing about it!
    I've no great concerns about the changes as yet, which is fortunate as they'll inevitably be imposed rather than consulted upon. It's odd that the article cites XC as a discipline to be aligned with, when XC uses school year age groups instead (unless that's being changed too?).
    The key uncertainty is (as CCR mentions) whether the current UKA distance limits (based on 'age on day') will continue to apply or are they being reviewed as well? It would have been useful for the article to clarify this issue as it's the key concern of most parents.

    Andy Armstrong; Clayton Harriers
    Last edited by The Cat Herder; 30-04-2016 at 11:34 AM.

  8. #8
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Cat Herder View Post
    This article was brought to my attention by one of our parents; he couldn't work out what group his daughter would move into next year and was concerned that she'd be running significantly further than she was used to.
    It is a bit off that it's not publicised anywhere else; something on the FRA website would have been appropriate. I've considered contacting Duncan about it but experience of how the FRA operates suggests that he probably knows nothing about it!
    I've no great concerns about the changes as yet, which is fortunate as they'll inevitably be imposed rather than consulted upon. It's odd that the article cites XC as a discipline to be aligned with, when XC uses school year age groups instead (unless that's being changed too?).
    The key uncertainty is (as CCR mentions) whether the current UKA distance limits (based on 'age on day') will continue to apply or are they being reviewed as well? It would have been useful for the article to clarify this issue as it's the key concern of most parents.

    Andy Armstrong; Clayton Harriers
    You're right Andy. This needs publicising in the proper channels. Would UKA announce champs info in Runners World?
    Whether it's just champs races or wider, it should be put on the website, the article could do to go on the forum and maybe even EA website and sent out to all the EA members in their regular email info.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

  9. #9
    So once you are no longer U17 are you still subject to a maximum distance as runners will obvioulsy still be U18 and if we are taking away this older category then surely we are making the transition from junior ranks to seniors even harder. TCH are right.
    If we are looking to make champs races not age on day of race but on 31st Dec to keep age groups right through the year and ensure kids arent racing against different kids at different races then making the age group sya u15 next year instead of U14 as it is now will mean surely that w ehave kids in that age group who are 14 and therore able to run max distance of 7km ( as per current U16) and also kids in it who are 13 and therefore only able to run max distance of 5km ( as per current U14)so which max distance would they adhere to?
    There does need to be proper publicity of this WP and
    Quote Originally Posted by FellJunior View Post
    The change has already been made in that 2016 Junior Championship age groups are based on age on 31st December 2015; a move in qualification of one day from 1st January 2016. Thus, all competitors born in the same relevant 2 calendar years will now run together.

    In 2017 the change for championship competitors is neutral. As the article states, age group labels are increased by 1 year, e.g. U14 becomes U15, and qualifying date moves back to 31st December 2017. Thus the same group of competitors will run together as if no change had been made for 2017.

    The article giving "advance notice" makes no mention of changes to UKA permitted distances, presumably because they are not determined by age groups, but age on day of race. The onus will remain on race organisers to ensure that the race distance does not exceed that permitted for the youngest potential entrant in that race.

    I am not party to the discussions on U18/U20/U23 provision, but my championship statistics show that U18 has never been as well supported as the younger age groups, U20 has rarely been viable and may not even survive as a one-off race, U23 struggles to grow. We have to find a way of helping and encouraging young people make the transition into senior events.

    P.S. Duncan is no longer Junior Co-ordinator.
    "Moors are a stage for the performance of heaven"

  10. #10
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Why can't someone just put the article up for all?
    I still haven't got a bloody clue what you are on about other than it generally involves some changes to the way the age groups are being handled.
    It's not clear if it's just some races, all races, in which jurisdictions.

    Fell runner magazine is a source of fell running info for FRA Members. As the devolved NGB in England for Fell, The FRA has wider responsibility to inform the sport as a whole and it can't do that with a piece in the Fellrunner.
    Richard Taylor
    "William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
    Sid Waddell

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