Athletic Ventures

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, and RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling, 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 galvanize the commercial potential of the sport, offering opportunities from grassroots activities to national events and the UK athletics GB & NI teams at major championships in an innovative ‘playground to podium’ sponsorship programme. Athletic Ventures will also deliver the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, 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.