Starter and Starter's Assistant

The role every race depends on

Every single race starts the same way — with a Starter and their Assistant. It's one of the most visible roles in the sport, working closely with athletes on the start line and with the latest electronic gun and timing equipment. If you like the idea of being right at the centre of the action, with real responsibility for getting every race away fairly, this is the discipline for you. Open to anyone 16 or over.

Level 1 Starter / Starter's Assistant

A three-hour course covering:

• The key roles and responsibilities of a Race Starter and a Starter's Assistant
• How, when and where to line athletes up before the start of a race
• How to correctly implement the relevant rules of a race start
• How to position yourself and give clear, unambiguous starting instructions and signals

From here: gain a minimum of two competition experiences, upload your licence photo to Athletics Hub, complete your Access NI check, complete the self-taught Safeguarding and Health & Safety modules, and submit the Level 1 Track and Field application form to officials@athleticsni.org.

Our courses run throughout the year. Wherever possible, we aim to deliver them face-to-face with our Northern Ireland-based tutors. However, where demand is lower, some courses may be delivered online through our colleagues in the other Home Countries.

If you're interested in any of our officiating courses or disciplines, please complete an Expression of Interest form here.