Who is eligible?
Anyone aged 35 or over can become a member of the BMAF.
How do I become a member?
a) If you are new to athletics, a set of disciplines which includes jumping, throwing and running, and do not belong to a UKA club: You can join the BMAF club in your area. If their constitution allows it, the BMAF club will affiliate you to the UKA (the governing body for Athletics in the UK) as well. This will cost you the Club Fee plus the UKA registration fee. You will have two membership numbers. Your UKA registration number, and your Masters Area Club number. You may need both of these numbers when entering events.
b) If you already belong to a UKA Club: You can additionally join the BMAF club in your area. This will cost a lesser fee as you are already Affiliated to the UKA. This additional membership does not affect your 1st/2nd claim membership of UKA clubs.
Whether you join via a) or b) your membership to your chosen area club will affiliate you to the British Masters Athletic Federation.
If you already belong to a UKA club or are resident overseas, you can also compete in BMAF Championships without joining an area club, but you will pay a supplement to enter each competition. Some competitions are restricted to BMAF area club members. See here for more information on this option.
The steps to join an area club may vary slightly according to the club, including doing them online, but in summary they consist of the following:
- Provide personal information and contact details plus athletics interests
- Provide documentation to enable validation of date of birth and citizenship
- Pay annual membership fee, including UKA affiliation fee if you wish to join the BMAF area club as a first claim member
- Obtain the area club kit, if you wish to represent the club in inter-area competition
Go to the link here for the list of area clubs and chose the one in your part of the country. (Note that there are two clubs in the South East: SCVAC and VAC). Online facilities for membership applications/renewals and entries to most BMAF competitions are provided by BMAF OpenTrack which is accessed via the (Register/Compete) link on the menu bar above. More detailed instructions for its usage are available in the BMAF OpenTrack User Guide.
Note that the area clubs NEMAA, SVHC, NIMAA and IOMVAC do not yet provide an online membership payment function.
A current UKA registration is now mandatory for BMAF affiliated members and GB-resident open members in order to compete in any BMAF championships. You can find more information here. UKA registration expires each year and payment of the annual fee is required in order to retain affiliation. You can check your EA registration here.
Competing at International Level
The European & World Masters have Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field Championships on alternate years (as well as the EMA having bi-annual Road Race, Race Walking and Cross Country events). WMA have annual mountain running championships. Please check the link here for news of these events.
There is no selection needed, nor, in expenses available competing for GBR via the BMAF. The only selection done at EMA and WMA events is for the relay teams from the entry available. GBR Masters have to buy their own kit, it is not provided.
You can represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland (GBR) in international masters athletics competitions once your citizenship or permanent residency here has been verified. Details of this process are given here.
Members of BMAF area clubs can also represent their home country in the British & Irish Masters Cross Country International. The rules of this competition including selection criteria are given here.
More about the BMAF
Age categories run in 5 year blocks from 35+, 40+, 45+ etc up as high as one can keep competing. There are athletes of 100 years of age occasionally!
To compete in these categories at any masters event does not require a standard of any sort. You can compete if you can afford to go. You will however need to attain the relevant medal standard in order to win a medal in the track and field championships.
The British Masters Athletic Federation (BMAF) is a voluntary body for Master (Age 35+ Men & Women) Athletes in the UK. They are affiliated to the IAAF but are not supported by the UKA. Therefore funding is limited and all work for them is voluntary.
They are always keen to hear of anyone interest to see the activities of the BMAF maintained and willing to help with this work. Please contact one of the officers if you would like to get involved.
The BMAF is made up of the eleven ‘Area’ Clubs. Some of these clubs still use the out dated term of ‘Veterans’.
BMAF run their own championships in all athletic disciplines. Cross Country, Road Races, Race Walking & Track & Field Athletics. See details of the forthcoming events on the Fixtures page here
Para-Athletes of all ages are equally welcome to join an area club and compete in area club and national events, alongside the able-bodied athletes, subject to provision of any special equipment needed (e.g. the mounting points in a throwing cage for wheelchair athletes).
They also have under their wing the EMAA (England Masters Athletics Association) who organise various inter-area events and you can compete for your area club in these matches. Details of the selection process are also given on the Fixtures page.
For more details of the BMAF, EMAA and the events they organise, go to this link: About BMAF
The various Clubs, all run their own championships in all the disciplines, and in some cases a Track & Field League in the summer.
Contact the membership secretary of your nearest ‘Area Club’ and join the BMAF today, You will be joining a friendly ‘Athletics for Life’ organisation giving you the chance, whatever your age, for local & regional competition to National & International opportunities.
We look forward to seeing you competing soon.