UK Athletics, the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom, has retained Fast Track as its marketing, event and sponsorship partner for a further five years – continuing the successful relationship that has sourced millions of pounds in commercial revenue and one which has helped inject new life into British athletics.

The specialist sports marketing consultancy and events agency, founded by Alan Pascoe, will continue to run the televised domestic meetings on behalf of UK Athletics as well as securing new television and commercial partners and servicing existing clients.

The new deal, clinched after an open bid process, lasts through to March 2006 and comes at a critical time for the sport with the World Indoor Championships coming to Birmingham plus the European Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, both in 2003.

‘This has proved to be an excellent partnership and its renewal reflects the success of the past three years’ said David Moorcroft, Chief Executive of UK Athletics. ‘Since joining forces, we have secured commercial monies of £60 million which is in excess of any other traditional Olympic sport and we now stage a series of televised domestic events that are the envy of the world – and all achieved from a starting position of a sport in administration’ he added.

This year alone, UK Athletics and Fast Track staged a total of eight televised events, all covered by BBC SPORT. The highlight was undoubtedly the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at Crystal Palace which was hailed by athletes, the media and spectators alike as the greatest athletics meeting ever held in the UK.

Since being appointed by UK Athletics in 1999, Fast Track has attracted an impressive list of sponsors to the sport headed by insurance giant Norwich Union. Other high profile commercial partners now involved with athletics include Reebok, Aqua-Pura, Rover, Isostar, Energizer and Xerox.

‘The support from our sponsors for the televised events allows us to offer prize money and bonus payments that are unmatched anywhere in the world’ said Moorcroft. ‘Over £500,000 was on offer at Crystal Palace alone, with bonus payments up to £70,000 for any athlete breaking a world record. It also achieved our objective of providing top competition for British athletes. Thirty per cent of the field was ‘home grown’ – that’s three times higher than similar meetings around the world.’

In addition to dealing with the elite level of athletics, Fast Track will be focussing on attracting investment to the grassroots of the sport in line with the UK Athletics development strategy ‘fun to fulfilment’ with particular emphasis on clubs, competition, young people and the education of coaches, officials and administrators.

‘We are thrilled to be continuing our association with David Moorcroft and his team at UK Athletics’ said Alan Pascoe, Chairman of Fast Track. ‘Together we have come a long way in three years and although a lot of work remains to be done, we have successfully delivered both a sound commercial footing for the sport and a much higher media profile’ he added.

For further information please contact:
Helen Wyeth or Emily Lewis
UK ATHLETICS
Tel: 0121 458 8700
Tel: 0121 456 8702

Andy Kay
FAST TRACK
Tel: 020 7932 1700
Mob: 07710 170494