How Age Groups Are Determined

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Age Group designation is particularly tricky for parents of younger walkers as there are as few different interpretations. Let's review.

VRWC POINTS COMPETITION AGE

This is your age at the start of our financial year which falls on 1st April. If your child is aged 11 at that time, then he/she remains an U12 walker from our perspective from 1st April through to 31st March the following year.This allows a walker to compete U12 in our Points Competition (Fastest Times and Handicaps) throughout the next 12 months even though that walker will have turned 12 in the interim.

VRWC CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AGE

For VRWC Club Championships, the age group is based on age on the day. This is different to the Points Competition age grouping.

RWA AGE

For all Racewalking Australia championships, age is determined by the athlete's age as of December 31st of the competition year. This applies to RWA carnivals such as the Annual LBG Carnival..

AGE ON THE WORLD SCENE

Some years ago, the world governing body of athletics (then called the IAAF, now called World Athletics) promulgated that at all underage championships, athletes must be under the age limit for the entire year. Thus the World Junior championships are only open to athletes who do not turn 20 until the next year. At the same time, they rewrote the U18 and U20 world records based on Age at 31 December of the Current Year.

Athletics Australia's decision to base age, ranking and record definitions on calendar years was not because of the above IAAF ruling but rather, to bring consistency to the operation of the sport nationally. At the time, the most significant area of teenage athletic activity was in schools, and the school system used the calendar year. AA saw sense in aligning itself with the school age groups because the two systems had the same client group, ie 12 to 19 year olds.

The State govening bodies (like AV) followed suite for consistency. Thus in any AV or AA competition, age is Age on 31st December of the Current Year

LITTLE ATHLETICS

Up till 2018, Little Athletics Australia mandated age categories as age at the start of the summer season, ie Age at 1st October. In early 2018, ALA changed the age group designations, a change to take effect from the start of the 2018/2019 year. Their new age group rule now reads:

Age groups shall be based on being under the specific age (with the exception of Tiny Tots) at 31 December in the calendar year in which the Little Athletics summer season commences. So for example, Under 12 means eleven years of age as at midnight on 31 December that year.

Thus ALA ages are now in line with AV and AA. but not quite. So for instance, LaVic Age groups for the 2025-26 season are based on how old the athlete is as of the 31st December 2025, not 31st December 2026, Confused? So am I.

IMPLICATIONS

The December 31st Age related Rule does have one major implication for some young athletes

Any athlete born in the second half of the year is permanently disadvantaged throughout his/her junior career compared to those born in the first half of the year. Anyone born on 31st December has a lot to be upset about! As my boys were all born in the last quarter of the year, they had to suffer this situation throughout their under age career.

Tim Erickson
Last Updated: 26 May 2026

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