Unregistered Events - Cork Athletics Bye-Laws
Cork Athletics Bye-Laws / Protocol for Unregistered Races
This Code of Practice was introduced, at the 2017 AGM, as voluntary practice, by all Cork Athletics member clubs, for the calendar year 2017. It was ratified as a Cork Athletics Bye-Law, at the County Board AGM, in January 2018.
Preamble to Bye-Laws
Athletics Ireland operates a permit system for events. The permit system is required for several reasons, including regulating events to ensure medical, safety and technical standards and guideline to ensure, in so far as practical, that clashes are avoided or minimised. Inter-club co-operation is essential for the permit system to work.
Regulation of events by Cork Athletics is becoming increasingly difficult due to the proliferation of non-permit events, where these events are actively organised and/or promoted by Cork Athletics member clubs. Very frequently, these events clash with other events that do have Athletics Ireland permits, and, bizarrely, the offending clubs are, themselves, the first to raise objections to permit applications.
Bye-Laws for Unregistered Events
• Clubs shall not advertise or promote non-permitted events.
• Clubs shall not organise, or help organise, non-permitted events.
• Clubs shall not permit or allow their club’s name to be used in association with non-permitted events.
• Advertising includes the use of posters or flyers, club media and/or social media, such as Facebook, Twitter , etc and club website(s)
If a club is approached to help organise unregistered events, those making the approach should be advised to register their event. If the event is registered, then the athletics club may become as involved as it wishes and Cork Athletics will promote the event, as normal.
It is an Athletics Ireland requirement that at least one member of the event organising committee be a member of the athletics club named on the permit application. This criterion may be satisfied by registering a single member of the organising committee.
Unregistered events are NOT covered by Athletics Ireland Insurance. By extension, Athletics Ireland clubs are NOT covered by Athletics Ireland insurance, consequently, in the absence of other insurance covering the athletics club, the athletics club and, in particular, the athletics club’s committee members may be personally liable.
Clashes with unregistered events, where these are organised/promoted, or otherwise endorsed by Athletics Clubs, are unfair to clubs/events who have permits for those dates.
Following ratification of the Code of Practice, from 2018, sanctions may be imposed on clubs, particularly repeat offenders, who organise/promote, or otherwise endorse unregistered events. Possible sanctions have yet to be explored, but might include exclusion from consideration for hosting championship events, non-granting of permits or non-promotion of events.
What Should a Club Do When Approached/Asked to Assist in Organising Unregistered Events?
It can be exceedingly difficult for a club to decline an approach to organise or assist in the organisation of an event, e.g. an approach from a group who want to organise a fundraising 5k for a critically ill child who needs life-saving treatment.
Assuming that the club is prepared to be involved in the event, the first thing to say to the organisers, is “Yes, we can, BUT only if you apply for an Athletics Ireland event permit”.
