UK Athletics today thanked the competition providers whose cooperation has helped this summer’s UK Challenge succeed in its aim of raising domestic standards closer to international levels.

More than 1,100 athletes achieved personal bests during the 50 qualifying events for the UK Challenge Final at Crystal Palace on Saturday 25 August. Almost 200 of them beat Power of 10 national standards set by UKA and its governing partners as guidelines for those seeking to make the transition to international competition.

“The results in the UK Challenge this summer are tremendously encouraging, but could not have been achieved without the unprecedented cooperation of competition providers across the country,” said UKA Head of Competition and International Matters, Cherry Alexander.

She is currently in Osaka, having been one of the UKA delegation at the IAAF Congress that preceded the World Championships that began today.

And she added: “This is one of those days when I wish I could be in two places at once because the UK Challenge is as important in its own way as the World Champs as we work to help our athletes raise the standards.

“But make no mistake that the success of the Challenge concept is down to the teamwork that has been evident all summer between the UKA team, led by Paul Aldridge, and the various competition providers whose cooperation has been consistently superb.

“It’s no an exaggeration to say that for every athlete who has benefited from this summer’s Challenge, there has been an official in the background who has contributed significantly. It has all added up to an encouraging example of what cooperation can do for ambitious athletes. Long may it continue!”

To give athletes as many opportunities as possible to get in a ‘Fantastic Four’ set of performances, this summer’s Challenge has been incorporated into the Bedford International Games, British Athletics League, British Milers’ Club Nike Grand Prix and UKA Endurance Initiative series, Celtic Cup, Golden Jubilee Cup semi-finals and final, Loughborough European Athletics Permit (L*E*A*P) meeting, Loughborough International, Northern Ireland Championships, Norwich Union England Under 23 and Under 20 Championships, Norwich Union World Trials and UK Championships, Scottish Under 23 and Senior Championships, territorial championships of Midlands, North and South of England, UK CAU Inter-Counties Championships, UK Women’s League, Welsh Championships, and the event specific UK Challenge JumpsFest and ThrowsFest.

For the details of UK Challenge Finals Day, please click here