A USATF sanction is an official designation issued by USATF, through a local Association, which approves and licenses the holding of a competitive track & field, long distance running, or race walking event in the United States. The sanction is also a contract, which evidences the event's commitment to follow national and international rules and regulations of the sport, and to provide a safe environment for the participants and spectators. Once the event has satisfied the sanction requirements, the event's application for sanction is approved. Back to Top
Sanctioning your event by USATF includes the following benefits: Increased Prestige, Liability Insurance, Sport Accident Insurance for USATF Member Athletes, Volunteer Event Medical Coverage, Calendar Promotion, Records, and other additional benefits that each association may provide to its sanctioned events. Click here to learn more about the benefits of sanctioning your event with USATF. Back to Top
It is best practice to have your event sanctioned prior to opening participant registration for your event, but certainly no later than thirty (30) days prior to your Event. This will allow you to collect the required USATF Participant Waiver and Release of Liability during the registration process. Any sanction applications completed less than thirty (30) days prior to the event start date will incur late fees. Back to Top
Once the sanction application has been approved by the National Office, Event Organizers will receive an email notification verifying their event has been sanctioned. Event organizers may also receive a Certificate of Insurance and/or access to the USATF Sanctioned Event Logo. Back to Top
Associations may develop its own supplemental form for informational purposes to be used in conjunction with the National forms. Within a Sanction Application (in the event admin panel) you may submit additional details about your event for review by both the applicable association and the national office. Back to Top
Yes. We can sanction these types of events, but the sanction and liability insurance coverage only applies to the track and field, long distance running, and race walking competition and not the other competitions or ceremonies. Back to Top
No. We can only sanction competitive events. Back to Top
Only clinics that are owned and conducted by USATF (National Committees, National Office) or Associations are covered under the USATF policy. These clinics must be registered with the USATF National Office. Back to Top
Yes. We can sanction events that include racing wheelchair divisions that are conducted under USATF rules. The event organizer should indicate that either a separate start or course is provided for wheel chair racers, and able‐bodied runners will be alerted to the presence of wheel chair racers. Back to Top
USATF sanctioned events may not permit animals to participate in their races unless they are designated as a service animal. If a service animal is permitted into the race, special accommodations must be made to ensure the safety of all other participants. Back to Top
No. Wheelchair‐only events must be sanctioned by USA Wheelchair. Back to Top
No event may use the term “Olympics” or any derivative unless authorized by the USOPC through the USATF National Office. Such approval already exists for the USATF Junior Olympic program. Additionally, USATF should not sanction a new event if its name is similar or identical to an existing event name. For example, it would not be in the best interest of the sport for there to be two separate events using the name “Boston Marathon.” Back to Top
If the event is postponed within the same calendar year, then the Event Organizer should email the National Office with the new date or submit a sanction postponement through the event admin panel. The National Office will make the necessary changes to the event’s Application for Sanction and all insurance certificates. Since the national fee has already been collected, there is no additional fee for postponing an event, unless the number of participants increases. If the event is postponed to the next calendar year, then the event must be canceled, and a new Sanction Application must be completed. Instructions on how to submit a postponement can be found here. Back to Top
Cancellations will be permitted until the day of the sanctioned event. Any cancellations on the day of the event will only be honored if due to inclement weather, or at USATF’s sole discretion. If an event is canceled, the event organizer should cancel the event in their USATF Connect account. The National Office will refund the event Sanction Fee minus a 10% administrative fee. Instructions on how to submit a cancellation can be found here. Back to Top
Using the Incidents Reporting form, all incidents that occur at sanctioned events should be reported to the National Office within 48 hours of the event. If the incident involves an athlete, a copy of the athlete’s completed event entry form should be submitted with the claim including the signed USATF Participant Waiver. In the case of bodily injury or death, statements should be obtained from witnesses, officials and on‐site medical personnel. It is critical that a member of the event management team interview witnesses to the incident and take written statements whenever possible. It is important to collect the name and contact information (address, telephone, cell number, email address) of as many witnesses to the incident as possible. These statements should be included with the submission of the Incident Reporting form. Back to Top
You will need to complete a post-event form through your USATF Connect profile within the specific event admin panel. Once your post-event report is completed, USATF will either refund the necessary difference (if you had less participants than anticipated) or you will be required to pay an additional fee (if you had more participants than your original participation estimate). Back to Top
Yes. As a USATF member organization, certain USATF Associations may offer discounted sanction fees to USATF organizational members. You must be a member club or organizational member to be considered a USATF organizational member. Back to Top
No. If you (the event organizer/director) conduct a USATF sanctioned and insured event, coverage is automatically provided for the event and your approved sanction is proof of coverage. Additionally, the Event Organizer will be issued an Evidence of Coverage Certificate. Certificates are issued as proof of insurance for third parties as well. Please retain a copy of your sanction through the duration of the statute of limitations period in your state. Back to Top
Once the event is sanctioned, Event Organizers will receive a Certificate of Insurance via email. Event Organizers may also access the Certificate of Insurance on their USATF Connect Account. Additionally, there is a section in the Sanction Application that will allow you to request a Third Party Certificate of Insurance. There is also a video tutorial on how to request a Third Party Certificate of Insurance in the Sanction Application. This video tutorial can be found here. Back to Top
Yes. Third parties having an insurable interest may be named an “Additional Insured,” but only with respect to the activities of the Named Insured in connection with USATF sanctioned events. That is, if an additional insured entity is named in a lawsuit because of your event activities that entity may qualify for coverage. Back to Top
Be specific and provide appropriate safety and medical precautions to protect the welfare of athletes and spectators. More information regarding USATF guidelines and COVID-19 protocols can be found here. For more information on specific requirements for approval within each association, click here. Back to Top
Yes. If you have at least one individual prize greater than $500 the money payouts need to be listed. Back to Top
Yes. USATF requires all participants and volunteers to sign a valid waiver of liability that releases the race organization, volunteers, officials, and USATF from claims for damages. All waivers must be maintained in a secure location for at least five years (or longer if your state’s statute of limitations on liability claims are longer than five years). Back to Top
No. We cannot sanction events with any of these types of obstacles on the course. Back to Top
USATF understands that state, local, and CDC guidelines can make in-person mass gatherings and live events difficult to execute during a pandemic. Accordingly, USATF can indeed sanction and insure an “individual trial” type of event, as long as the event satisfies several criteria to guarantee consistent conditions for all competitors. These type of “individual trial” events can best be defined as in-person events where event participants are competing at the same track or course on or about the same day, but NOT at the same time. The athletes are competing for the best possible marks, as opposed to against other participants running or walking the same course at the same time, or throwing/jumping at the same facility, thus limiting the exposure participants and officials have to others. For running/walking events, they must be timed, held on the exact same course with proper safeguards in place throughout the course to ensure fair and accurate competitive results (e.g. cameras along the course, officials along the course, chip timing stations, etc.), and the event needs to take place over a limited time (1-2 days). The course should be surveyed on the day(s) of the event to ensure participant safety, and results need to be reported after the conclusion of the event. Similar procedures should be followed for “individual trial” field events to ensure appropriate facility safeguards are in place and, as much as possible, continuity in officiating and competitive conditions. Each athlete should sign up for a specific time to compete on the track or course to ensure a staggered start such that athletes do not come into contact with each other while on the track or course. Additionally, the event organizer should implement procedures to ensure participants are not gathering either prior to or subsequent to their individual trial. During the pandemic, these individual trial events must follow all of the procedures outlined in USATF’s Event Hosting Guidance. Specifically, all entrants to the facility/competition area must meet the minimum requirements of a completion of a symptom survey with answers that verify meeting the Low Risk criteria, as well as a temperature check. Please also note that an individual trial sanction is meant to encourage athlete participation, and results from an individual trial sanction are not considered to be official marks. Back to Top
For the purely virtual events, where participants are competing on a course that has not been surveyed by event organizers to ensure participant safety, USATF cannot sanction these events. Unfortunately, these types of virtual events do not meet the criteria of a USATF sanction and, therefore, will not be sanctioned by USATF. If your sanctioned event transitions from an in-person event to a virtual event, please contact our office to cancel your Sanction. In any event, please note that any previously issued sanctions and insurance certificates will be automatically void for those types of virtual events. USATF appreciates your continued involvement in our sport. Please feel free to contact our office should you have any questions or need assistance. Back to Top
Sanctions in USATF Connect are charged a credit card processing fee (blended rate) as part of the purchase transaction. These processing fees are direct hard costs which are paid directly to the vendor provider without being transferred to USATF. The fees cover credit card and merchant processing fees. Back to Top
Unfortunately, the current USATF Connect platform does not allow an ACH payment. If you are unable to pay for your sanction with a credit card and would like to pay for your sanction via ACH, feel free to reach out directly to our sanctions department at sanctions@usatf.org or 317-713-9617. Back to Top
All event organizers looking to submit a sanction will need to complete SafeSport training. This comes at NO cost to the event organizer and can be completed directly through your FREE USATF Connect profile. The event organizer is NOT required to purchase a USATF membership or complete a USATF background screen. Back to Top
Although USATF encourages all participants in our sport to complete SafeSport training, only the event organizer that is completing the sanction application is required to complete SafeSport training. Back to Top
If your event has already been approved by both your local association and the USATF National Office, your evidence of coverage certificate has already been emailed directly to you. If you are unable to find that certificate, you can always log back into your USATF Connect profile and download any certificates of insurance that have been produced for your sanctioned event(s). The same applies to any requested third-party certificates. Instructions on how to download your certificates of insurance can be found here. Back to Top
Any event director can create a FREE USATF Connect account here. A USATF membership is NOT required to create a profile and submit a USATF sanction. Back to Top
Event directors will now be required to complete any outstanding post-race reports prior to the submission of any new sanction applications. Any outstanding post-race event reports will block an event director from submitting a new sanction application. Note that the USATF Connect system will NOT allow a sanction application to be submitted more than one calendar year out from the current date. Back to Top
The USATF Connect system will now provide a “pre-populate” option at the start of your sanction application. Any historical events that are associated with your profile (same email address from past years) will be available to pre-populate and that event information can be automatically entered into the sanction application. Information such as dates, safety plans, and event details will need to be double-checked to ensure the most up-to-date information is entered. Back to Top
Yes! Under the sanctions panel of your USATF Connect profile, you will be able to view pending, approved, and/or denied requests. A summary of your event will show if it is currently in need of an association review or a National Office review. If you are looking for an update from your association review, please find your association’s contact information here. Back to Top