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*Under UKA rules, which do not cater for U11 athletes, U13s may be 11+ on the day of a cross country event. In Scotland,
however, many event organisers offer races for this younger age group meaning that athletes turning 11 during the
competition year have opportunities to compete in the U11 age group at club level and do not need to move into the U13
age group early. Scottish athletes will remain in the U11 age group until the end of the competition year and will then spend
two years in the U13 age group under Scottish rules (in place since 2009).
**Under UKA Rules, the Masters age group starts from age 35 in road, cross country and hill running. However, in Scotland,
only track and field medals are awarded to Masters athletes from 35+. All other disciplines recognise Masters performances
from age 40+.
2023-24 Age Groups
Organisers of licensed events in Scotland are encouraged to provide competition opportunities in the age groups described below for each discipline of athletics. For the current competition year, the following cut-off dates apply.
Cross Country and Road – T3 S1 and T3 S3
Competition year: 1st September 2023 – 31st August 2024
Under 11 01/09/12 – 9 years old on the day of the event
Under 13 01/09/10 – 31/08/12*
Under 15 01/09/08 – 31/08/10
Under 17 01/09/06 – 31/08/08
Under 20 01/09/03 – 31/08/06
Senior born on or before 31/08/03
Masters aged 40+ on the day of the event (some events will offer Masters age bands, also based on age on the day)**
Hill – T3 S1 and T3 S4
Competition year: 1st January – 31st December 2024
Under 11 born 2014 – 9 years old on the day of the event
Under 13 born 2012-2013
Under 15 born 2010-2011
Under 17 born 2008-2009
Under 20 born 2005-2007
Under 23 born 2002-2004
Senior born 2001 or earlier
Masters aged 40+ on the day of the event (some events will offer Masters age bands, also based on age on the day)**
*Under UKA rules, which do not cater for U11 athletes, U13s may be 11+ on the day of a cross country event. In Scotland,
however, many event organisers offer races for this younger age group meaning that athletes turning 11 during the
competition year have opportunities to compete in the U11 age group at club level and do not need to move into the U13
age group early. Scottish athletes will remain in the U11 age group until the end of the competition year and will then spend
two years in the U13 age group under Scottish rules (in place since 2009).
**Under UKA Rules, the Masters age group starts from age 35 in road, cross country and hill running. However, in Scotland,
only track and field medals are awarded to Masters athletes from 35+. All other disciplines recognise Masters performances
from age 40+.
Track and Field – T3 S1 and T3 S2
Competition year: 1st October 2023 – 30th September 2024
Under 11 01/09/13 – 9 on the day of the event
Under 13 01/09/11 – 31/08/13
Under 15 01/09/09 – 31/08/11
Under 17 01/09/07 – 31/08/09
Under 20 01/01/05 – 31/08/07
Senior born on or before 31/12/04
Masters aged 35+ on the day of the Championship (some events will offer age bands, also based on age on the day)
Trail – T3 S1 and T3 S5
As there is no specific rule for trail race age groups, and the general rule only covers young athletes up to U17, the road/cross country age group dates for U20 and above are used for Trail Championships
Competition year: 1st October 2023 – 30th September 2024
Under 11 01/09/12 – 9 years old on the day of the event
Under 13 01/09/10 – 31/08/12
Under 15 01/09/08 – 31/08/10
Under 17 01/09/06 – 31/08/08
Under 20 01/09/03 – 31/08/06
Senior born on or before 31/08/03
Masters aged 40+ on the day of the event (some events will offer Masters age bands, also based on age on the day)
Event organisers may opt to offer alternative age groups at their events (eg. school year). Any changes to the standard age groups must be advertised in advance so that all participants know which age group they should compete in. Any changes to age groups must still observe Rule T3 (141)’s supplementary rules regarding maximum distances/event restrictions applicable to young athletes.
Event organisers wishing to offer competition to the U18 or U23 age groups, for example, should refer to the appropriate chapters of the UKA rule book. These and a limited number of other age groups are standardised but are rarely seen in Scottish competitions and so are not included specifically here.