Athletics

Athletics is one of the most exciting and accessible sports in the School Games, offering something for every young person regardless of ability or experience.

From high-energy multi-event competitions to traditional track and field events, athletics delivers year-round opportunities to get active, compete, and improve. Whether it’s sprinting, endurance running, jumping, or throwing, every event gives participants the chance to shine and celebrate their progress.

Competitions range from fun, inclusive formats like Funetics Multi Challenge and Sportshall Athletics (ideal for schools with limited space or equipment) through to county and national pathways. Athletics can be delivered almost anywhere, from school halls and playgrounds to full track-and-field facilities, making it one of the most flexible sports in the programme.

At its heart, athletics is about personal achievement. Every child can take part, develop fundamental movement skills and be recognised for both performance and personal bests. These core skills (running, jumping, and throwing) also form the foundation for success across many other sports, making athletics a powerful part of any PE and school sport offer.

Primary formats

Indoor Competition Offer: Sportshall Athletics (September – March)

Sportshall Athletics is one of the best-known School Games competition formats, recognised around the world for its fun, inclusive, and engaging team-based approach to athletics.

Sportshall promotes local delivery through a programme of Level 1 and 2 School Games events that encourage mass participation, with teams of up to 30 children.

Each SGO area is invited to nominate its leading school to participate in a County Final.

Outdoor Competition Offer: Funetics Multi Challenge (April – July)

Funetics Multi Challenge (FMC) is an exciting new competition format which measures and rewards both improvement and performance. FMC can be delivered as part of a lesson, an intra-, or inter-school competition. This format offers either a Triathlon (a run, jump and throw) or Quadrathlon (a sprint, distance, jump and throw) competition format, allowing for greater flexibility. Integrated into the FMC format is the England Athletics PB Awards, allowing everyone to be recognised and rewarded, and also includes inclusion cards to ensure everyone is involved.

Sports Day

Sports Day is one of the most exciting days of the year for most schools and pupils. England Athletics has developed a support resource to help schools deliver a fully inclusive Sports Day offer.

Secondary formats

Indoor Competition Offer: Sportshall Athletics (September – March)

The Sportshall Secondary Programme provides an opportunity for both intra- and inter-school athletics competitions and the retention of young people in competitive school sport following transition.

Sportshall Secondary retains an emphasis on team competition whilst also encouraging athletes to develop individually.

Each SGO is encouraged to stage a Level 2 Sportshall athletics competition prior to the leading schools progressing to a County Final.

Traditional: English Schools AA County and National Finals and the English Schools Cup

The English Schools AA is one of the best-known School competitions for secondary-aged pupils and provides Cross Country, Track and Field, and Combined Events competitions throughout the year. These competitions have been the starting point for many of Britain’s greatest ever athletes.

Equipment needed

• Suitable indoor or outdoor space
• Cones
• Howlers
• Batons
• Gym mats
• A variety of balls (e.g. tennis, footballs, netballs, or 1kg Medicine Ball, etc), beanbags
• Stopwatch
• Suitable space for long jumps
• Bibs
• Measuring tape

More specialist equipment may be required for secondary schools, such as javelins, etc.