Endurance Officials Courses

The Endurance Officials qualifications are available for anyone aged 16 or over who is interested in assisting in off-track endurance events, including cross country, fell, hill and road running. 

 Endurance Officials' Pathway 2025/ 2026

Level 1 Endurance Official 

This course covers all off-track endurance events and will last around 4 hours and will cover the following topics:

• What we mean by endurance
• To understand the skills, knowledge, experience, and aptitude of Endurance Officials
• What equipment an Endurance Official will need to bring to an event
• What the different areas of an endurance race are:
  • The Start
  • The Course
  • The Finish
• To understand an Endurance Official’s roles and responsibilities including:
  • Sector MarshallRace RefereeStart Director and Finish DirectorCourse Director
  • Judging and Recorder

• Health & Safety

Next Steps 

• Gain a minimum of four competition experiences, three differing experiences of which should be achieved from the following:
  • Pre-race registration duties
  • Assisting with the setting out a start / finish area pre-race
  • Start line assisting / assembling athletes.
  • Course marshalling
  • Marshalling crossing points
  • Marshalling at road junctions
  • Assisting with the judging / recording at a race finish or equivalent
  • Stewarding / Marshalling at finish or operating a finishing funnel
  • Timekeeper recording

• Attendance at the Risk Awareness Course
• Ensure you have uploaded your licence photo to the myAthletics portal (head shot on a white background). 

  We are currently experiencing technical difficulties resulting in <https://myathletics.englandathletics.org/portal/Members/Login> being down. Our IT team is currently working on identifying the cause of the issue.

• Complete an Access NI check
• Complete the self-taught Safeguarding module
• Complete the Level 1 application form and send to officials@athleticsni.org

 

How to Become a Race Referee (Athletics NI / UKA Endurance Officials Pathway)

Step 1 – Level 1 Endurance Official
• Register and attend the Level 1 Endurance & Risk Awareness course.
• Complete the required competition experiences under supervision; log these in your record of experience.
• Once licence is issued you may assist at endurance events (marshal, record, etc.).

Step 2 – Progress to Level 2 – Endurance Official
• Complete the required Level 2 self-study modules (which include the “Race Referee / Race Judge” module).
• Complete at least 10 additional practical experiences (including shadowing a referee at club/league-level).
• Submit your logbook / record of experience and licence upgrade request.
• Once qualified, you become eligible to act as Race Referee (or Assistant Race Referee) at local/club-level road and cross-country races (typically smaller events).

Step 3 – Level 3 Endurance Official – Senior / Regional Race Referee
• Complete additional modules (Start/Finish Director, Course Director) and meet broader experience requirements (including managerial/refereeing roles at a variety of events).
• With a Level 3 licence you become eligible for regional-level, larger or more complex endurance events, with greater responsibility and scope.

Further Progression – Level 4 / National Panel (optional)
• For those seeking national-level or UK-wide appointments — further experience, mentoring and accreditation is required (as per UKA / Home-Country guidelines).