The ESAA Awards scheme, covering both primary and secondary schools, is being run by the English Schools’ Athletic Association and supported by England Athletics.
In addition to hosting events across disciplines, ESAA also work to facilitate the entry of championship teams and schools into combined and international events, allowing athletes to compete at county, regional, national and international levels.
The ESAA Cross Country Cup is a competition between school teams. Ages are as at 31st August at the end of the school year in which the competition is held.
Juniors are normally years 7 & 8, and Intermediates are normally years 9 & 10. Don’t forget that the years advance by one during the summer holidays, so when entering before the summer holidays you will be looking to take the current years 6 & 7, and 8 & 9 to the competition starting in October, ie. U14 must be under 14 on 31st August 2022, and U16 must be under 16 on 31st August 2022.
The ESAA National Cross Country Championship is the most eagerly anticipated event of the winter for young athletes. We bring together the best athletes in each of the 46 Counties in England to compete for the honour of being the best in the Country.
Entry to the event is by virtue of athletes being selected by County Team Managers to represent their County. County Teams may compete between other neighbouring Counties in an Inter-County match, after which the team to represent the County at the National Championship is finally selected.
The Track and Field cup is a school-based competition where any secondary aged school in England can enter.
Schools across all 46 counties are able to enter the Track and Field Cup, representing their specific regions for the change to represent at a national and international level.
The Track and Field Championships is a competition where athletes are selected to represent their county schools’ team.
Athletes are selected to represent their County Teams in three age group categories; Junior, Intermediate and Senior. The championship in 2023 will be the 92nd English Schools Track and Field Championships.
The ESAA Combined Events are held over two rounds. The Regional rounds are normally held on the fourth weekend in June – there are 6 regions in the UK. The Final is normally held on the 3rd Saturday in September and the day after.
Athletes wishing to be considered for selection are normally already well known to the County Associations, but others who wish to be considered for County Team select who are not already in contact with their County Association should get in contact with ESAA.
The ESAA fields National teams in the Schools International Athletics Board (SIAB) competitions which involve England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These take place in Cross-Country and Track and Field. There is also a Combined Events International held annually.
The ESAA may also send teams to the World Schools’ Cross Country Championships (ISF), and also to the ISF World Schools Track & Field (The Jean Humbert Memorial).
Individual schools’ may be invited to enter a team in ISF Cross-Country and Track and Field Competitions.
Provisional Calendar 2022:
