UK Athletics has published the selection policy for the Novuna GB & NI team for the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships that will take place on 20-22 March in Poland.

We want to bring to the attention of athletes and coaches that the qualification period for these Championships is shorter than the World Athletics window to accommodate all necessary post-selection procedures, for which the team entry deadline of 09 March does not allow adequate time for.

The qualification window runs from 1 November 2025 to 4 March 2026.

UK Athletics consulted the Athletes’ Commission for guidance on the process, and this window was agreed to maximise all athlete’s opportunity to qualify but also respect and reserve their right to an appeals process. Therefore, athletes and coaches must be aware that there are a few competitions post-selection date from Thursday 5 March that are out of this window and therefore wouldn’t be considered during the selection process.

Athletes should carefully review the dates within the selection policy to ensure they meet the Qualification Requirement; you can read the full policy for 2026 World Indoor Championships Selection here. 

To be considered, athletes must:

• Compete at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships on 14–15 February 2026 in Birmingham.
• Achieve the World Athletics Entry Standard for their event within 1 Nov 2025 to 4 Mar 2026 window or secure a place via the World Indoor Tour Wild Card or Top Performance List within this timeline.

Meet all general eligibility criteria