AAA Indoor Championships

Last updated
AAA Indoor Championships
Athletics pictogram.svg
Sport Indoor track and field
Founded1935
Ceased2006
Country England/United Kingdom

The AAA Indoor Championships was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost indoor domestic athletics event during its lifetime. [1] [2]

Contents

The event was first held in 1935, following the construction of an adequate venue in Wembley Arena in London for the 1934 British Empire Games. The first iteration of the competition lasted for five editions and featured around nine men's indoor track and field events and six for women. The onset of World War II meant the competition was not held in 1940. The second iteration of the competition began in 1962, returning to its Wembley venue. The championships had a long residency at RAF Cosford indoor arena from 1965 to 1991, then from 1992 to 2001 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. The final few editions for held at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield. [3] The event ceased in 2006, being replaced by the UK Athletics-organised British Indoor Athletics Championships.

Though organised by the English governing body, it was open to all athletes from the United Kingdom, and also to overseas athletes. (Most of the foreign athletes who competed were Irish or UK-based.) It served as the de facto British Championships, given the absence of such a competition during its history. It was typically held over two days over a weekend in February.

It was among the earliest and most significant annual indoor track and field competitions, being preceded only by the AAU Indoor Track and Field Championships in the United States (established in 1907). The restarting of the AAA Indoor Championships in 1962 came alongside similar national developments elsewhere, including the German Indoor Championships in 1954 and Soviet Indoors in 1964. [4] [5] The European Athletics Indoor Championships became the first regular indoor international championship in 1966. [6]

Events

The following athletics events featured as standard on the main AAA Championships programme:

Events were initially raced and measured in imperial distances, with the transition to metric occurring in 1968 for men and 1969 for women. A men's 2000 metres steeplechase was contested from 1967 to 1985. Combined track and field events were introduced in 1987 in the form of a men's octathlon and a women's pentathlon; the octathlon was amended to the international standard men's heptathlon in 1991. Racewalking briefly featured on the programme, with a men's and women's 3000 metres track walk happening from 1997 to 2002. A women's 1.5 mile walk was also held in 1966 and 1967. and a men's 1-mile walk in 1936. The non-standard 600-yard run was held for both men and women from 1962 to 1964.

In line with the international expansion of women's athletics programmes to match the men's, the 3000 metres for women was added in 1973, the triple jump was added in 1991 and the pole vault in 1994.

Editions

#YearDateVenueLocationNotes
1935 Wembley Arena London
1936 Wembley Arena London
1937 Wembley Arena London
1938 Wembley Arena London
1939 Wembley Arena London
Not held 1940 to 1945 due to World War II
1962 Wembley Arena London
1963 Wembley Arena London
1964 Wembley Arena London
1965 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1966 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1967 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1968 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1969 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1970 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1971 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1972 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1973 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1974 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1975 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1976 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1977 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1978 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1979 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1980 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1981 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1982 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1983 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1984 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1985 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1986 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1987 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1988 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1989 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1990 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1991 Cosford Indoor Area RAF Cosford
1992 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
1993 National Indoor Arena Birmingham Heptathlon and pentathlon held at RAF Cosford
1994 National Indoor Arena Birmingham Heptathlon and pentathlon held at RAF Cosford
1995 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
1996 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
1997 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
1998 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
1999 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
2000 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
2001 National Indoor Arena Birmingham
2002 2–3 February [7] National Indoor Athletics Centre Cardiff
2003 National Indoor Arena Birmingham Heptathlon and pentathlon held at NIAC Cardiff
2004 11–12 February [8] English Institute of Sport Sheffield Heptathlon and pentathlon held at NIAC Cardiff
2005 English Institute of Sport Sheffield Heptathlon and pentathlon held at NIAC Cardiff
2006 7–8 February [9] English Institute of Sport Sheffield

Most successful athletes by event

EventMenMen's titlesWomenWomen's titles
60 metres Jason Gardener 5 Beverly Kinch 5
200 metres Linford Christie 6Flag of Ireland.svg  Ciara Sheehy  (IRL)3
400 metres Jim Aukett 4 Verona Elder 8
800 metres Martin Steele 4 Kirsty Wade 4
1500 metres Walter Wilkinson
Rob Harrison
2 Mary Stewart
Hayley Ovens
3
3000 metres Ian Stewart
Ray Smedley
3 Mary Stewart
Thelwyn Bateman
Sonia McGeorge
Angela Davies
Zara Hyde Peters
Jo Pavey
2
60 m hurdles Colin Jackson 7 Lorna Boothe
Lesley-Ann Skeete
4
2000 m steeplechase Ron McAndrew 4Not contested
High jump Geoff Parsons 5 Susan Moncrieff 7
Pole vault Mike Bull 8 Janine Whitlock 7
Long jump Chris Tomlinson 4 Sheila Parkin
Sue Reeve
Kim Hagger
Denise Lewis
Joanne Wise
3
Triple jump Aston Moore
Francis Agyepong
Julian Golley
4 Michelle Griffith 5
Shot put Geoff Capes
Mike Winch
Paul Edwards
6 Judy Oakes 18
Heptathlon/pentathlon John Heanley 3 Kelly Sotherton 3
3000 m walkFlag of Ireland.svg  Robert Heffernan  (IRL)3Flag of Ireland.svg  Gillian O'Sullivan  (IRL)3

Related Research Articles

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AAA Championships

The AAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Amateur Athletic Association of England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event in the United Kingdom during its lifetime. It was succeeded by the British Athletics Championships.

The British Indoor Athletics Championships is the annual national championship in indoor track and field for the United Kingdom, organised by UK Athletics. Eight track and five field events for both men and women are contested, with athletes being invited to compete, after reaching qualifying standards. In even numbered years, the competition acts as a qualifier for the World Indoor Championships, and in odd numbered years it is a qualifier for the European Indoor Championships.

Czechoslovak Athletics Championships

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1986 UK Athletics Championships

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Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships

The Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Soviet Athletics Federation, which served as the Soviet national championship for the sport. Typically held over two to three days in February during the Soviet winter, it was a later development to the national programme, supplementing the main outdoor Soviet Athletics Championships held in the summer.

Russian Indoor Athletics Championships

The Russian Indoor Athletics Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF), which serves as the Russian national championship for the sport. It was first held in 1992, following the independence of Russia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and replacing the Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships. It is typically held as a three-day event in the Russian winter around mid to late February. The venue of the championships is usually in Moscow or Volgograd. A total of 24 athletics events are on the current programme, divided evenly between the sexes.

Spanish Indoor Athletics Championships

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WAAA Championships

The WAAA Championships was an annual track and field competition organised by the Women's Amateur Athletic Association (WAAA) in England. It was the foremost domestic athletics event for women during its lifetime.

East German Indoor Athletics Championships

The East German Indoor Athletics Championships was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the East German Athletics Association, which served as the national championship for the sport in East Germany. Typically held over two days in February during the German winter, it was first held in 1964.

West German Indoor Athletics Championships Annual indoor track and field competition

The West German Indoor Athletics Championships was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the German Athletics Association, which served as the national championship for the sport in West Germany. Typically held over two days in February during the German winter, it was first held in 1954.

Dutch Indoor Athletics Championships

The Dutch Indoor Athletics Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Royal Dutch Athletics Federation, which serves as the national championship for the sport in the Netherlands. Typically held over two to three days in February during the Dutch winter, it was first added to the national calendar in 1969, supplementing the main outdoor Dutch Athletics Championships held in the summer since 1910.

Polish Indoor Athletics Championships

The Polish Indoor Athletics Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Polish Athletic Association, which serves as the national championship for the sport in Poland. Typically held over two to three days in February during the Dutch winter, it was first added to the national calendar in 1933, supplementing the main outdoor Polish Athletics Championships held in the summer since 1920. The national indoor competition was held from 1933–56. After a near twenty-year gap, the championships was restored to its annual fixture in 1973.

Norwegian Athletics Championships

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Yugoslavian Athletics Championships

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Ukrainian Athletics Championships

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Finnish Indoor Athletics Championships

The Finnish Indoor Athletics Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Finnish Amateur Athletic Association, which serves as the Finnish national championship for the sport. First held in 1962, the competition was open to non-Finnish athletes and several foreign athletes were crowned as Finnish champions. The championship titles were restricted to Finnish nationals from 1987 onwards, with foreign competitors reduced to guest status only.

Estonian Indoor Athletics Championships

The Estonian Indoor Athletics Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Estonian Athletic Association, which serves as the national championship for the sport in Estonia. First held in 1963, the competition was established during the period of Soviet occupation, thus was limited to a sub-national scope for the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, as Estonia's athletes still competed at the national Soviet Indoor Athletics Championships. The Estonian Indoor Championships became the undisputed official national-level event for Estonia in 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Czechoslovak Indoor Athletics Championships

The Czechoslovak Indoor Athletics Championships was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the Czechoslovak Athletics Federation, which served as the national championship for the sport in Czechoslovakia. Held over two days in February during the Czechoslovak winter, it was added to the national calendar in 1969 following the creation of a suitable indoor athletics venue in Jablonec nad Nisou. A Czech-only championship was held at the venue a year earlier.

References

  1. AAA Indoor Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  2. AAA Indoor Championships (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  3. Knight, Tom (2004-02-06). Britain's indoor revolution. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  4. Soviet Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  5. German Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  6. European Indoor Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  7. Turnbull, Simon (2000-02-03). Athletics: Spencer steps into limelight. The Independent. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  8. 2004 AAA Indoor Championships Complete Results. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  9. 2006 AAA Indoor Championships Complete Results. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-03-10.