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.

WAAA Championships

Sport	Track and field
Founded	1923
Ceased	2006
Country	England/United Kingdom

Since 1880, the Amateur Athletic Association of England had held the AAA Championships, but it admitted men only and did not wish to include women. Women's clubs and competitions were typically separate from the men's and in line with growing interest in the sport the WAAA was founded in 1922. Several contests in the country were approved by the WAAA with "Championships of England" status that year, and this was subsequently replaced with an organised WAAA Championships in 1923. Aside from the 1927 championships in Reading, Berkshire, the WAAA track and field event was based at various locations in London up to 1939. The competition was interrupted by World War II but was re-instigated in 1945 and remained in London until a move to Birmingham in 1985.

As women's athletics developed in the 20th century, major international men's and women's events typically were held in conjunction, with women first appearing on the Olympic athletics programme in 1928 and the European Athletics Championships being fully combined by its third edition in 1946. The AAA and WAAA events remained divided for much longer and it was not until 1988 that the women's events were merged into an all-gender AAA Championships in 1988, though the WAAA remained the organiser of the women's events. This change came during a period of reform that would see the sport fully professionalise and, in the UK, organisation move to national level.

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.

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.

Events

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

• Sprint: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m
• Distance track events: 800 m, 1500 m, 3000 m (until 1999) 5000 m
• Hurdles: 100 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles, 3000 m steeplechase
• Jumps: long jump, triple jump, high jump, pole vault
• Throws: shot put, discus, hammer, javelin

The following events were regularly held, but often outside of the main programme:

• Long-distance track events: 10,000 m
• Combined events: pentathlon/heptathlon
• Walks: 5000 m walk, 10,000 m walk
• Road running: marathon

Races were contested, and field events measured, in yards and feet up until 1968. The 2000 metres steeplechase was held in 2002 and 2003 before moving to the standard 3000 m distance. The 80 metres hurdles was contested until 1968 before being replaced by the new international standard 100 metres hurdles. The 200 metres hurdles was on the programme from 1961 to 1972, before being dropped in favour of the 400 metres hurdles. A 60 metres event was available from 1935 to 1950. A women's mile run was first contested in 1936, indicating a growing acceptance to women taking part in distance events. The 3000 metres was introduced in 1968 and lasted until 1999. The standard 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events came after, being first held in 1980 as non-championship events before achieving full status.

The field events expanded roughly in line with international changes. The triple jump first appeared in 1989, followed by championship events in pole vault and hammer throw in 1993, bringing women to parity with men in field events. A women's pentathlon (first held in 1949) was replaced with a heptathlon in 1981.

Racewalking events underwent progressive change in distance, from 880 yards (1923–1927), to one mile (1928–1932), rounded down to 1600 m in 1933 to 1939, back to one mile (1945–1958), up to 1.5 miles (1960–68), then 2500 m (1969–1972), 3000 m in 1973 and 1974, before finally reaching the 5000 m distance in 1975. A 10,000 m walk was introduced in 1978. A variety of relay races were contested by clubs prior to 1960.

Editions

#	Year	Date	Venue	Stadium	Notes
—	1922		Various	Various	Championships status provided to several events
1	1923		London	Bromley, Oxo Sports Ground
2	1924		London
3	1925		London	Stamford Bridge
4	1926		London	Stamford Bridge
5	1927		Reading
6	1928		London	Stamford Bridge
7	1929		London	Stamford Bridge
8	1930		London	Stamford Bridge
9	1931		London	Stamford Bridge
10	1932		London	Stamford Bridge
11	1933		London	White City Stadium
12	1934		London	Hampstead Heath
13	1935		London	White City Stadium
14	1936		London	White City Stadium
15	1937	7 August	London	White City Stadium
16	1938		London	White City Stadium
17	1939		London	White City Stadium
Not held 1940 to 1944 due to World War II
18	1945		London	Tooting Bec Athletics Track
19	1946		London	White City Stadium
20	1947	2 August	London	Polytechnic Stadium
21	1948	26 June	London	Polytechnic Stadium
22	1949		London	White City Stadium
23	1950		London	White City Stadium
24	1951		London	White City Stadium
25	1952	14 June	London	White City Stadium
26	1953		London	White City Stadium
27	1954		London	White City Stadium
28	1955		London	White City Stadium
29	1956		London	White City Stadium
30	1957		London	White City Stadium
31	1958	7 June	London	Motspur Park
32	1959	4 July	London	Motspur Park
33	1960	1–2 July	London	White City Stadium	Pentathlon held in Birmingham
34	1961	8 July	London	White City Stadium	Pentathlon held in Birmingham
35	1962		London	White City Stadium	Pentathlon held separately in London
36	1963	6 July	London	White City Stadium	100 m hurdles held in Watford, Pentathlon held in Leamington Spa
37	1964	4 July	London	White City Stadium	100 m hurdles held in Watford, Pentathlon held in Birmingham
38	1965	3 July	London	White City Stadium	100 m hurdles held in Wolverhampton, Pentathlon held separately in London
39	1966	1 July	London	White City Stadium	200 m hurdles held in Watford, Pentathlon held in Birmingham
40	1967		London	White City Stadium	200 m hurdles held in Manchester, Pentathlon held in Solihull
41	1968	19–20 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Imperial distance events replaced with metric distances 3000 m and 200 m hurdles held in Crawley
42	1969	19 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	3000 m and 200 m hurdles held in Manchester, Pentathlon held in Birmingham
43	1970	27 June	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
44	1971	17 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Pentathlon held in Birmingham
45	1972		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
46	1973		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Pentathlon held in Warley, Essex
47	1974		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
48	1975		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
49	1976		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
50	1977		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Pentathlon and 5000 m walk held in Wolverhampton
51	1978		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Pentathlon and 5000 m walk held in Birmingham
52	1979		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	Pentathlon and 5000 m walk held in Birmingham, 10,000 m walk held in Hornchurch
53	1980		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	10K run and pentathlon held in Birmingham
54	1981	25 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	10,000 metres held in Enfield, heptathlon held in Birmingham
55	1982		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	3000 and 10,000 metres and heptathlon held in Birmingham
56	1983	30 July	London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	3000 and 10,000 metres and heptathlon held in Birmingham, 10,000 m walk held in Kirkby
57	1984		London	Crystal Palace National Sports Centre	10,000 m and heptathlon held at Herne Hill, 10,000 m walk held in Birmingham
58	1985	26–27 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m and heptathlon held in Bournemouth, 10,000 m walk held in London
59	1986	6–7 June	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m and heptathlon held in Hull, 10,000 m walk held in London
60	1987		Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m and heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m walk held in Middlesbrough
—	1988	5–7 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials, women's championships held in conjunction with men's for first time 5000 and 10,000 metres and heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m walk held in London
—	1989	11–13 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	5000 metres and heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent, triple jump held in Middlesbrough, 10 km walk held in Leeds
—	1990	3–4 August	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	5000 metres and heptathlon and triple jump held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m held in Portsmouth, 10,000 m walk held in London
—	1991	26–27 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m walk, 5000 metres and heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m held in Cardiff
—	1992	27–28 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials 5000 metres and hammer throw held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m and heptathlon held in Sheffield
—	1993	16–17 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	3000 metres held in London, 10,000 m held in Portsmouth, heptathlon and 10,000 m walk held in Horsham
—	1994	11–12 July	Sheffield	Don Valley Stadium	5000 metres held in Birmingham, heptathlon and 5000 m walk held in Horsham, 10,000 m walk held in Bolton
—	1995	15–16 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m held in Bedford, heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent, 10,000 m walk held in Watford
—	1996	14–16 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials heptathlon held in Bedford, 10,000 m walk held in Enfield
—	1997	24–25 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Heptathlon held in Sheffield, 10,000 m walk held in Worcester
—	1998	24–26 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	3000 metres held in Sheffield, 10,000 m held in Bedford, Heptathlon held in Derby, 10,000 m walk held in Basildon
—	1999	23–25 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	New javelin model introduced 3000 metres held in Sheffield, 10,000 m held in Watford, Heptathlon held in Hexham
—	2000	11–13 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	Olympic trials 10,000 m held in Watford, Heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent
—	2001	13–15 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m held in Watford, Heptathlon held in Bedford
—	2002	12–14 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m held in Manchester, Heptathlon held in Wrexham
—	2003	25–27 July	Birmingham	Alexander Stadium	10,000 m held in Watford, Heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent
—	2004	10–11 July	Manchester	Sportcity	Olympic trials 10,000 m held in Watford, heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent
—	2005	9–10 July	Manchester	Sportcity	10,000 m held in Watford, heptathlon held in Hexham
—	2006	15–16 July	Manchester	Sportcity	10,000 m held in Watford, heptathlon held in Stoke-on-Trent

Most successful athletes by event

Event	Women	Women's titles
100 metres	Joice Maduaka	5
200 metres	Kathy Smallwood-Cook	6
400 metres	Joslyn Hoyte-Smith Linda Keough	3
800 metres	Kelly Holmes	7
1500 metres	Hayley Tullett	4
3000 metres	Yvonne Murray	4
5000 metres	Hayley Yelling	3
10,000 metres	Hayley Yelling	3
3000 m steeplechase	Tina Brown	2
100 m hurdles	Sally Gunnell	7
200 m hurdles	Pat Nutting Pat Jones	3
400 m hurdles	Gowry Retchakan	5
High jump	Dorothy Tyler	8
Pole vault	Janine Whitlock	6
Long jump	Ethel Raby	6
Triple jump	Michelle Griffith	5
Shot put	Judy Oakes	17
Discus throw	Suzanne Allday	7
Hammer throw	Lorraine Shaw	6
Javelin throw	Tessa Sanderson	10
Combined events	Mary Peters	8
3000/5000 m race walk	Betty Sworowski	4
10,000 m race walk	Irene Bateman Helen Elleker Betty Sworowski Vicky Lupton	3

References

Editions

• WAAA Championships. Power of 10. Retrieved 2018-04-04.