We have a strong tradition in track and field competition, which continues to this day at all levels. From the age of 8 to the over 75 age group, we have athletes competing in local, regional, national and international competitions. Most competitions happen in the summer season (April to September), though a small number of athletes also take part in indoor athletics over the winter season. If you are interested in competing in track and field then we are able to offer regular training sessions (Junior/Senior), coaching, and access to regular competition.
Senior and Junior Members are expected to compete in Club teams. Each year we appoint Team Managers who are responsible for league entry declarations, team co-ordination, communication and support.
In addition to the league competitions we also regularly host Midweek Opens, and membership of the Club allows you to enter Opens throughout the country and, if you meet the standards, selection for county, regional and national teams.
None of the competitions below can happen without volunteers to officiate and to help at the matches we host. We expect all members of the Club (or the parents for Junior members) to help in some way. There are a variety of roles that need to be filled to allow the Club to run. Volunteering is as import as competing for the existence of the Club. All the leagues we participate in have a requirement that, as well as having athletes compete, the Club provide a minimum number of officials for all matches (home and away) and regularly host matches.
- The Club has a variety of coaching groups, catering for runners of all abilities, jumpers, throwers and multi-eventers. Whether your interest is in sprinting, middle distance, long distance, throws or jumps, we think we probably have a coach who can help you gain more from the sport and improve.
- Different groups have different training times and programmes. Typically our Juniors and Seniors train twice a week at Club training sessions at the track, but many members train outside of Club training times either at the track or elsewhere. Training will always be directed by a qualified coach who will devise appropriate activities for every athlete. All of our coaches are volunteers who give their time freely to the Club.
- For all Senior and Junior Members of the Club, membership includes the cost of your England Athletics Affiliation fee. This enable you to enter all EA accredited competitions. With your EA Membership you will be eligible for a variety of benefits and services.
League Competitions
Juniors (U10 to U20)
Our youngest athletes (U10-U12) participate in Sportshall competitions in the winter and in QuadKids competitions in summer. The QuadKids events are commonly held as part of the Oxfordshire and the Wessex T&F leagues
For the older Juniors, U14 to U20, we compete in three leagues. Teams for the league are selected by Team Managers, with communication via Spond (details are given at the start of each season). The U18 and U20s also regularly compete with the Seniors in the Southern Athletics League.
Oxfordshire Track and Field League
This league is for Junior teams in Oxfordshire, although it also includes a team from Berkshire. The current members are – Oxford City AC, Bicester AC, Banbury Harriers AC, Witney Road Runners, Abingdon AC, White Horse Harriers AC, Great Milton AC, Radley AC and Team Kennet (Newbury). The league offers three fixtures during the summer, with one being held at Horspath, the others being at Banbury and Tilsley Park, Abingdon. The fixtures, which are held on a Sunday, provide competition for male and female athletes aged U10 to U12 (QuadKids) and for U14 to U18, with U20s also being able to compete as non-scoring athletes. The league awards team trophies at the end of the season to the overall winner of the league and to the winners of each age group.
Wessex Young Athletes Track and Field League
This league attracts 26 teams from Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight. It has one division, and offers four fixtures every summer. We usually host two matches at Horspath. The matches, held on a Sunday, provide competition for male and female athletes aged U12 (QuadKids) and for U14 to U18, with U20s also being able to compete as non-scoring athletes. The League awards team trophies to the overall winner of the league and to each age group.
UK Youth Development League
This league attracts 217 clubs from across the UK. It is split into two age groups, Lower (U14 & U16) and Upper (U18 & U20). We compete in the Lower Age Group. The Lower Age Group is split into 4 regions and each region has multiple divisions arranged geographically. We compete in the Southern Region, Division 1D and for 2026 the other teams in our division are Chiltern Harriers AC, Dacorum AC, Vale of Aylesbury AC, WSEH AC and Wycombe Phoenix AC. There are normally 3 or 4 fixtures in the summer, one of which is hosted at Horspath.
We hope in future to also compete in the Upper Age Group but that is dependent on the number of athletes and officials.
Seniors & Veterans
The Southern Athletics League
This league is open to clubs in the South of England, with teams drawn from as far afield as Team Dorset in the west, Medway & Maidstone in the East and City of Norwich to the north east. The majority of clubs are from the Home Counties but all southern counties are represented – Dorset, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is made up 83 clubs over 9 divisions. Our senior team competes in Division 2 – South & West.
The league offers 4 matches each summer for combined male and female teams, with a timetable which compresses all the Olympic athletic disciplines (with the exception of marathon, race walking, and 10,000m) into one day. We host a match at Horspath each season, and for 2026 our away matches are at Abingdon, Guildford and Reading. Matches are held on Saturdays or Sundays.
Competition is for U18s and older, and our team is usually made up of a mixture of U18, Senior and Veteran athletes.
Although the fact that this is a league means there are points scored for the club, the league has a very open-to-all and supportive culture, with excellent opportunities to compete as non-scoring athletes, often at a very good standard.
Southern Counties Veteran Athletics League
Oxford City is in the Western Division of this league, which spans the whole of the South of England. The league ensures four fixtures each summer, providing good track and field competition at four Monday evening matches normally held in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire. We generally host one match at Horspath each season. Competition is open to men and women in over 35, over 50 and over 60 age groups, although it often includes over 70s as well. There are also some slots for guest athletes. The men have won this league many times in the past 20 years, while the women, whose team was re-founded in 2015, won the league at their second attempt and have been consistently highly placed in the league. The winners of the Western Division automatically go forward to the League Winners Final in September which we have also won on several occasions. Many of our veteran athletes also regularly go on to compete and win medals in area and national championships.
Open Competitions
To enter Open competitions normally you are required to hold a membership of an athletics club. Opens are entered individually but you compete under club colours. The two main websites, through which you enter Opens, are Roster Athletics and Open Track.
Running2Time Oxford City AC Midweek Opens
The Club for many years has hosted a series of very popular graded Midweek Opens. These occur on a Wednesday evening, monthly from April to September. These afford athletes of all abilities the opportunity to compete regularly, gain experience of competition and hopefully achieve personal bests. These are entered individually via the Roster Athletics website.
Local and Regional
Other local and regional clubs and associations host Open meetings throughout the season. The first local Open of the year is the Radley AC Kear Memorial Open at Tilsley Park, Abingdon which normally starts the outdoor season with a match in early April. The Oxfordshire County Championships and Oxford Schools County Championships are also entered like an Open. For middle distance runners Oxford University and the BMC host the Bannister Track Mile at Iffley Road in May.
Slightly further afield are the Charnwood AC Opens at Loughborough and the Watford Opens, which are a regular series of meetings that are popular and can have a high level of competition. The South of England Athletic Associations (SEAA) also holds several Championships (indoor and outdoor) over the year.
County, Regional and National Teams
Many of our best athletes are selected for Oxfordshire teams, South of England teams and, for the very best, England and GB teams. This affords them the opportunity to enter higher competitions and compete for regional, national and international honours. This applies equally to Juniors, Seniors and Veteran age groups; the Club currently boasts three Senior members who have been recent GB team members, one GB junior and several Veterans who have represented England and GB in track and field and cross country running.