The British Championships in Athletics is the premier national championship in track and field athletics held in the United Kingdom, and are organised by British Athletics. The event has doubled as the main trials for the major international outdoor athletics meets in which Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete, including the Olympic Games, the IAAF World Championships in Athletics and the European Athletics Championships. A meeting under the name of the UK National Championships was first held in 1977, but the Championships took its modern shape in 2007, and its modern name in 2012.
The event is not to be confused with the much older Amateur Athletics Association of AAA Championships dating back to the 1880s. This older event had unofficially acted as both British national championships, and intermittently as major trials events, from that date until 2007. The British Championships took over this status gradually in the 2000s, although the AAA event continues to exist as a prestigious national event focussed at junior and underage athletes.
History of national championships in Great Britain
The UK National Championships in athletics were launched and held between 1977 and 1997. They were a major event in the United Kingdom (UK) athletics calendar. Unlike the AAAs Championships, which were usually open to overseas athletes, the UK championships were only open to competitors from the United Kingdom. In 1980, the event for the first time incorporated the British trials for the Olympic Games.
The event's status, however, declined due to the AAAs Championships (which had begun in 1880) remaining the premier domestic event. Due to its early slot in the athletics season (the event was usually contested in May), many top athletes would be absent.
The competition continued to be held annually until 1993 when it was renamed the British Championships. There was then a gap of four years until its brief return in 1997 when it also hosted the British trials for the World Championships. It again returned in 2001 to host only the women's 3000 metres steeplechase.