AAA Championships explained

Sport:	Track and field
Country:	England/United Kingdom
Founded:	1880
Folded:	2006

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, despite the existence of the official UK Athletics Championships organised by the then governing body for British athletics, the British Athletics Federation between 1977 and 1993, and again in 1997. It was succeeded by the British Athletics Championships, organised by the BEF's replacement (successor), UK Athletics under its brand name British Athletics.

History

The competition was founded in 1880, replacing the Amateur Athletic Club (AAC) Championships, which had been held since 1866. Initially a men-only competition, a Women's AAA Championships was introduced in 1922 with the first proper WAAA Championships in 1923 and organised by the Women's Amateur Athletics Association until 1992, at which point it was folded into the Amateur Athletics Association.^[1] During the 1920s and early 1930s, the AAA Championships was Europe's most prestigious athletics event until the European Athletics Championships were inaugurated in 1934.^[2] Events were contested and measured in imperial units until metrification in 1969, in line with international standards.^[3]

Though organised by the English governing body, it was open to athletes from all over the world. The first overseas champion was Lon Myers of the United States who won the 440 yards in 1881. the first winner from Africa was Arthur Wharton from Ghana who won the 100 yards in 1886 and 1887. Foreign champions out-numbered those from the United Kingdom for the first time in 1904 when the United States team on their way to Paris for the Olympic Games stopped off in London and won eight of the fourteen events then on the programme.

It served as the de facto British Championships, given the absence of such a competition for most of its history. It was typically held over two or three days over a weekend in July or August. Foreign athletes were no longer allowed to compete from 1998 onwards (with the change first being trialled in 1996), though they were still allowed to participate (but not formally placed) in the 10,000 m and marathon events.^[3]

The creation of the UK Athletics Championships in 1977 under the British Amateur Athletic Board (later British Athletics Federation) marked a challenge to the event's domestic supremacy, though the quality of that rival event declined after it hosted the 1980 Olympic trials and it ceased as an annual championships after 1993, closing completely after 1997.^[4] The AAA Championships incorporated the UK Olympic trials every four years from 1988 to 2004.^[5] The women's WAAA Championships was folded into the AAA Championships in 1988.^[1] The establishment of UK Athletics in 1999 to serve as the national governing body for professional, elite athletics ultimately started the decline of the AAA Championships. UK Athletics took over the role of both national championships and international team selection with its own British Athletics Championships from 2007 onwards.^[3] The AAA Championships ceased to be a stand-alone event in its own right from that point onwards, though it re-emerged in 2016 in being co-held with the English Athletics Championships organised by England Athletics (a body for developing the grassroots level beneath UK Athletics).^[6] ^[7] ^[8]

The long-distance track events, marathon, racewalking events and combined track and field events were regularly held outside of the main track and field championship competition. Although the competition venue varied over the years, there were several locations that served as regular hosts over its history: Stamford Bridge (1886 to 1931), White City Stadium (1932 to 1970), Crystal Palace National Sports Centre (1971 to 1987) and Alexander Stadium (1984 to 2003).^[5]

Evolution of events

In 1880 the programme consisted of fourteen events; 100 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards, 1 mile, 4 miles, 10 miles, steeplechase, 120 yards hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump, shot put, hammer and a 7 miles walk.

Challenge Cups

On 4 April 1880 a meeting of representatives of the chief athletic clubs in the country was held at Oxford for the purpose of forming a governing body possessing the power of framing the laws and regulations of (track and field) athletics. The Amateur Athletic Association was the result. At that meeting the representatives of the Amateur Athletic Club handed over to the new association the challenge cups that had been competed for since the championship meeting was instituted in 1866.^[9] There were initially just nine cups, shown with their notional insurance value, as follows: 100 yards - Challenge Cup presented by Prince Hassan, 60 guineas. Prince Hassan was the brother of Tewfik Pasha the Khedive of Egypt, and was educated in England. 440 yards - Challenge Cup presented by Kenelm Thomas Digby, Esq., MP, 45 guineas, an Irish politician. 880 yards - Challenge Cup presented by Percy Melville Thornton, 45 guineas. Thornton was the son of Rear-Admiral Samuel Thornton. Educated at Harrow, an Oxford graduate, he won the AAC 880 yards in 1866, was the first Secretary of the Inter-University sports, inspired the boat race near Ghent in 1911 between 8 Jesus college oarsmen and a Belgian crew. Was Honorary Secretary Middlesex County Cricket Club for many years, an MP for the Clapham division of Battersea from 1892 to 1910. Married his cousin Florence Emily Sykes and wrote a book on Foreign Secretaries of the Nineteenth Century. 1 mile - Challenge Cup presented by Charles Bennett Lawes Esq. From Teignmouth, Devon, Lawes, went to Eton, and Trinity College, Cambridge University. He won the AAC 1 mile championship in 1866. 1st President Incorporated Society of British Sculptors. 4 miles - Challenge Cup presented by the Early of Jersey, 60 guineas. At the Oxford vs Cambridge match in 1865 he was fourth in the 2 miles, in a blinding snowstorm. The following year he was third in a 1-mile race won by Arthur Kemble in a howling gale. He was first President of the AAA. 10 miles - Challenge Cup presented by Walter Moresby Chinnery of the London Athletic Club, 50 guineas. Chinnery was the first amateur to run 1 mile in less than four and a half minutes, which he did at Cambridge on 10 March 1868, and on 30 May that year he repeated the feat at Beaufort House.^[10] In 1868 and 1869 he won both the 1 mile and 4 miles events at the AAC championship, and he again won the 1 mile in 1871.^[11] High jump - Challenge Cup presented by Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, 3rd Baronet, 35 guineas. 120 yards hurdles - Challenge Cup presented by Lord Southwell, 45 guineas. 7 miles walk - Challenge Cup presented by John Chambers, founder and secretary of the AAC, 35 guineas.^[12]

Editions

	Date	Venue	Stadium	Notes
1	3 July	London		Replaced the AAC Championships
2	16 & 18 July
3	1 July			7-foot square for the shot put introduced
4	30 June	London
5	21 June	Birmingham
6	27 June		Southport Sports Ground
7	3 July	London
8	2 July		Stourbridge Cricket Ground	9-foot square for the hammer introduced
9	30 June
10	29 June	London
11	12 July	Birmingham
12	29 June	Manchester	Manchester AA Grounds, Old Trafford
13	2 July	London
14	1 July
15	7 July			7 mile walk reduced to 4 mile walk
16	6 July	London
17	4 July			wire handles for the hammer legalised
18	3 July	Manchester
19	2 July	London
20	1 July
21	7 July	London
22	6 July			4 miles walk reverts back to 7 miles
23	5 July	London		220 yards first held
24	4 July
25	2 July
26	1 July	London
27	7 July	London
28	6 July
29	4 July	London		7 foot circle for the hammer re-introduced
30	3 July	London
31	2 July	London	Stamford Bridge
32	1 July	London	Stamford Bridge	1-mile medley relay introduced
33	22 June	London	Stamford Bridge	stop-board at the front of the circle for the shot put introduced
34	5 July	London	Stamford Bridge	steeplechase standardised at 2 miles
35	3–4 July	London	Stamford Bridge	440 yards hurdles, discus, javelin, and triple jump introduced
Not held 1915 to 1918 due to World War I
36	5 July	London	Stamford Bridge
37	2–3 July	London	Stamford Bridge	56 lb weight event was held
38	1–2 July	London	Stamford Bridge
39	30 June-1 July 1922	London	Stamford Bridge	moving the hands up the pole during the pole vault, in what was known at the time as the "climbing" technique was ended
40	2–3 July	London	Stamford Bridge
41	20–21 June	London	Stamford Bridge
42	17–18 July	London	Stamford Bridge	marathon introduced
43	2–3 July	London	Stamford Bridge
44	1–4 July	London	Stamford Bridge	4 x 440 yards relay and a 4 x 110 yards relay was introduced at the same time
45	6–7 July	London	Stamford Bridge	decathlon was first held
46	5–6 July	London	Stamford Bridge
47	4–5 July	London	Stamford Bridge
48	3–4 July	London	Stamford Bridge	steeplechase number of hurdles standardised and pole jump renamed pole vault
49	1–2 July	London		4 miles race reduced to 3 miles and the 6 miles event was introduced
50	7–8 July	London	White City Stadium
51	13–14 July	London	White City Stadium
52	12–13 July	London	White City Stadium
53	10–11 July	London	White City Stadium
54	16–17 July	London	White City Stadium
55	15–16 July	London	White City Stadium
56	7–8 July	London	White City Stadium
Not held 1940 to 1945 due to World War II
57	19–20 July	London	White City Stadium
58	18–19 July	London	White City Stadium
59	2–3 July	London	White City Stadium
60	15–16 July	London	White City Stadium
61	14–15 July	London	White City Stadium
62	13–14 July	London	White City Stadium
63	21–22 June	London	White City Stadium	220 yards hurdles event introduced
64	10–11 July	London	White City Stadium
65	9–10 July	London	White City Stadium
66	15–16 July	London	White City Stadium
67	13–14 July	London	White City Stadium
68	12–13 July	London	White City Stadium
69	11–12 July	London	White City Stadium
70	10–11 July	London	White City Stadium
71	15–16 July	London	White City Stadium
72	14–15 July	London	White City Stadium
73	13–14 July	London	White City Stadium
74	12–13 July	London	White City Stadium	220 yards hurdles discontinued
75	10–11 July	London	White City Stadium
76	9–10 July	London	White City Stadium
77	8–9 July	London	White City Stadium
78	14–15 July	London	White City Stadium
79	12–13 July	London	White City Stadium
80	1–2 August	London	White City Stadium	Imperial distance events replaced with metric distances
81	7–9 August	London	White City Stadium
82	23–24 July	London
83	14–15 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
84	13–14 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
85	12–13 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
86	1–2 August	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
87	13–14 August	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
88	22–23 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
89	23–24 June	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
90	13–14 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
91	5–6 September	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
92	7–8 August	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
93	24–25 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
94	23–24 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	The London marathon counts as the AAA title
95	23–24 June	Birmingham
96	13–14 July	London
97	20–21 June	Birmingham
98	1–2 August	London
99	5–7 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials, women's championships held in conjunction for first time
100	11–13 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	3000 metres introduced
101	3–4 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
102	26–27 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
103	27–28 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials
104	16–17 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
105	11–12 July
106	15–16 July		Alexander Stadium
107	14–16 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials
108	24–25 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
109	24–26 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
110	23–25 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
111	11–13 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials
112	13–15 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000m walk reduced to 5,000m walk
113	12–14 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	women's 2000 metres steeplechase introduced
114	25–27 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium
115	10–11 July			Olympic trials
116	9–10 July	Manchester	Sportcity
117	15–16 July	Manchester	Sportcity

Most successful athletes by event

Event	Men	Men's titles	Women	Women's titles
100 metres	Linford Christie	8	Joice Maduaka	5
200 metres	John Regis	6	Kathy Smallwood-Cook	6
400 metres	David Jenkins	6	Joslyn Hoyte-Smith Linda Keough	3
800 metres	Steve Ovett Steve Cram Curtis Robb	3	Kelly Holmes	7
1500 metres	John Mayock	6	Hayley Tullett	4
3000 metres	No multiple champions	—	Yvonne Murray	4
5000 metres	Eamonn Martin Brendan Foster	3	Hayley Yelling	3
10,000 metres	Dave Bedford	5	Hayley Yelling	3
3000 m steeplechase	Maurice Herriott	7	Tina Brown	2
110/100 m hurdles	Colin Jackson	11	Sally Gunnell	7
400 m hurdles	Chris Rawlinson	6	Gowry Retchakan	5
High jump	Howard Baker	6	Dorothy Tyler	8
Pole vault	Tom Ray	7	Janine Whitlock	6
Long jump	Peter O'Connor	6	Ethel Raby	6
Triple jump		6	Michelle Griffith	5
Shot put		13	Judy Oakes	17
Discus throw	Bill Tancred	7	Suzanne Allday	7
Hammer throw	Mick Jones Tom Nicolson	6	Lorraine Shaw	6
Javelin throw	Mick Hill Dave Travis	7	Tessa Sanderson	10
Combined events	Leslie Pinder	4	Mary Peters	8
3000/5000 m race walk	Roger Mills	10	Betty Sworowski	4
10,000 m race walk	Brian Adams	5	Irene Bateman Helen Elleker Betty Sworowski Vicky Lupton	3

References

Editions

AAA Championships. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-02-25.

External links

Notes and References

http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm AAA Championships Women
Web site: Track Stats - John Powell. The European Championships did not begin until 1934. nuts.org.uk. 29 October 2012.
https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm AAA Championships
http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/uk.htm UK Championships
http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm AAA Championships (Men)
https://www.englandathletics.org/the-amateur-athletic-association AAA
https://www.englandathletics.org/about-england-athletics/what-we-do What We Do
https://www.englandathletics.org/england-athletics-news/day-two-of-england-athletics-senior-championships Athletes on form at England Athletics Senior Championships
"Daily Telegraph & Courier (London)", Mon 5 Jul 1880 p. 3
Richard Hymans "World Record Progressions" International Amateur Athletics Federation (2015)
Peter Lovesey and Keith Morbey "British Athletics 1866-1880". National Union of Track Statisticians (2016)
"The Referee", Sun 17 Jul 1881 p. 5