UK Athletics End 14-Year Fast Track Commercial Partnership

A 14-year partnership between UK Athletics (UKA), the governing body for athletics, and commercial partner Fast Track is to end after the latter were informed that its existing contract will not be renewed at the end of the indoor season next March.

UKA 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 and 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.

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.”

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