| 1986 UK Athletics Championships | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 25 & 26 May 1986 |
| Host city | Cwmbran, Wales |
| Venue | Cwmbran Stadium |
 | |
| Level | Senior |
| Type | Outdoor |
←1985 1987 → | |
The1986UK Athletics Championships was the national championship in outdoortrack and field for the United Kingdom held atCwmbran Stadium,Cwmbran, Wales.[1] It was the fourth time the event was held in the Welsh town.
It was the tenth edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to theAAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, because the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as theNational Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes also competed at the1986 AAA Championships.[2][3]
The women's5000 metres was dropped from the programme and replaced by a women's10,000 metres event.
Fatima Whitbread won her sixth consecutive women'sjavelin throw UK title, whileshot puttersBilly Cole andJudy Oakes both won a third straight title. Amongst the men's 1985 champions,John Regis (200 m),Phil Brown (400 m),Kevin Capper (steeplechase),Geoff Parsons (high jump),Andy Ashurst (pole vault) andMick Hill (javelin) successfully defended their titles.Kathy Cook was the only woman other than Whitbread and Oakes to have a repeat win. SprinterSandra Whittaker was the only person to reach the podium in two events.[2]
The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the1986 European Athletics Championships. UK champions Fatima Whitbread andJack Buckner (5000 m) went on to become European champions, whileYvonne Murray (UK runner-up) took a 3000 m bronze.[4][5] The fourcountries of the United Kingdom competed separately at theCommonwealth Games that year as well. UK Championships athletes to become Commonwealth gold medalists there includedRoger Black (400 m),John Herbert (triple jump),Liz Lynch (10,000 m),Sally Gunnell (100 m hurdles),Joyce Oladapo (long jump), Andy Ashurst (pole vault) and Billy Cole (shot put).[6][7]
