Performance Athletics

Loughborough Athletics Performance Programme

Loughborough Students Athletics Club is able to provide opportunities for all levels, though around one third of the club's members will be invited onto the Performance Programme. 

Elite athletes at Loughborough will be supported to achieve success at the highest level possible within the sport. The level of support provided will depend on athlete performance, with athletes fitting into three main tiers: Scholar, Performance and Development. 

As well as benefiting from access to elite facility training hours, performance squad members receive thousands of pounds worth of support, including support and guidance in the following areas:

• Coaching
• Strength and conditioning
• Physiotherapy
• Soft Tissue Therapy
• Nutrition
• Performance Lifestyle
• Physiology
• Biomechanics

Selection Criteria

There are three tiers of support on the Performance Programme: Scholar, Performance and Development. Further information regarding Scholarships can be found here. 

Athletes are invited to be members of Performance and Development based on their recent performances and a set criteria. Performance standards are generally those within the 'medal zone' at BUCS Championships. Development standards are generally those where the athlete would be a strong finalist in a BUCS Championships.

For all performances, standards must have been achieved after 1st January of the year of entry, e.g. for the 2025/2026 academic year, performances must have been achieved after 1st January 2025. Exceptions may be based if significant injury has played a part in non-participation. An athlete cannot stay on the performance programme with an U20 standard for more than one year. After one year of inclusion they will need to have improved to the U23/senior standard, or be exited. 

All performances over 100m, 200m, sprint hurdles and horizontal jumps must have a legal wind reading. 

The athletics coaching and performance team will meet as a panel before the start of a new academic year to agree upon the athletes who will be invited. In exceptional circumstances, coaches may nominate athletes who do not have a performance equal to or better than the criteria, but there must be a strong argument for the inclusion of this athlete, and it must be agreed on by the entire panel.