Athletes and coaches should already be aware but this is a reminder of the new competition rule relating to the start of races reports Christine Roy.
As from 1 April 2013 any athlete deemed to be responsible for a false start will be disqualified. Last year this only applied to senior athletes, this year it will apply to both U20 and U17 athletes who would have formerly received a ‘warning’ for a first false start followed by disqualification for a second one.
This will apply to all competitions, apart from school meetings, masters and combined events.
Senior athletes should also note that the rule has been extended to cover open graded meetings which is also a change from last year.
Full rules can be read in the UKA rulebook, pages 31 – 34