Uka Ends Partnership With Fast Track

UKA, the governing body for athletics, is moving the organisation and commercial responsibility for the sport’s flagship televised events in-house during the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics, after ending its 14-year partnership with commercial partners Fast Track.

Fast Track has been informed that its existing contract will not be renewed when it finishes at the end of the indoor season next March.

Instead UKA will take over the running of the country’s major events from the summer of 2012, including the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace, using its own in-house team which it plans to set-up over the course of the next year.

Fast Track, which is now part of the Chime Communication group, has previously organised the televised domestic meetings on behalf of the governing body as well as securing new commercial and television partners and servicing existing clients.

However UKA is now keen to capitalise on the opportunity offered by London 2012 to run its own meetings.

A UKA spokeswoman stated: ‘We have been towards this point for several years. We are very grateful for the work that Fast Track have done for the sport since 1998 and we will part on good and amicable terms.’

UKA also stated that the decision to bring the organisation of the top meetings in-house will save the governing body ‘a substantial amount’.

Fast Track has held the UKA account since 1998 after the sport was forced to relaunch after the former British Athletic Federation had gone bankrupt the previous year.

‘We’re disappointed but we understand the change in philosophy in UKA and we’re proud of what we’ve done for them,’ said Jon Ridgeon, the managing director of Fast Track.