Transforming
athletics
Our Purpose
Athletic Ventures is a joint venture comprising UK Athletics (UKA), The Great Run Company (GRC) and London Marathon Events (LME) created to transform the future and growth of athletics in the UK and to deliver major athletics events.
GRC organises The Great North Run, the world’s biggest half marathon, and an annual programme of running and open water swimming events across the UK. LME organises the London Marathon, the most popular marathon on the planet and the world’s biggest annual one day fundraising event, in addition to a range of running events and Swim Serpentine.
In combination with UKA, the governing body for the sport of athletics in the UK, the three organisations will jointly galvanise the commercial potential of the sport, offering opportunities from grassroots activities to national events, in an innovative ‘playground to podium’ sponsorship programme.
Athletic Ventures will also deliver the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the Novuna London Athletics Meet (the annual edition of the Diamond League in the UK), and lead the potential bidding process for the World Athletics Championships to return to the UK in 2029.
Our Events
Novuna London Athletics Meet
18 July 2026
Part of the Wanda Diamond League series, the world’s biggest one-day athletics meeting at the London Stadium is an annual sell-out and features the sport’s biggest global stars including Noah Lyles, Femke Bol, Dina Asher-Smith, and Keely Hodgkinson.
Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships
August 10 - 16 2026
The European Athletics Championships are coming to Great Britain for the very first time. Prepare for world‑class competition as athletes from more than 50 nations go head‑to‑head. Expect unmissable moments and history in the making at the biggest athletics event of 2026.
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Unity Challenge
16 August 2026
The Unity 5K is a mass participation run through the heart of Birmingham, taking place on the final day of the European Athletics Championships. A 5K route using the same roads as the championship marathon earlier that day. Alongside the 5K, a 1K fun run is available for ages three and up.
Commercial Rights
Athletics is the number one Olympic and Paralympic sport and athletics/running is the most popular participation sport on the planet. Our innovative "playground to podium" sponsorship programme offers a range of engaging commercial partnership opportunities from grassroots activities to national events and international championships.
Partnerships are vital to us and we are keen to work with brands. We can help you deliver your individual brand objectives and tell your own story through our broad range of communications channels: TV broadcasts, e-communications, social media and on-the-day event activations.
Contact us to explore the potential this amazing sport can offer your brand.