A Birmingham athletics club is training the countryโs next generation of medallists, with eight athletes recently landing a clutch of national or world podium and top ten finishes.
With a history dating back more than 100 years, Birmingham Running Athletics and Triathlon (BRAT) Club is nurturing 250 junior athletes from eight to 18-years-old, with its junior team currently leading division one of the four-division Heart of England League.
The inclusive club is actively supporting neurodiverse athletes and athletes with disability to reach their potential and welcomes anyone with a passion for track and field, cross country, road running, and triathlon.
Recent BRAT junior successes include:
- 13 golds, 16 silvers and 19 bronze medals at the Warwickshire County Track and Field Championships in 2025
- 1st place for the U15 team at the National 5km Road Relay Championships
- 4th place for Araya Williams in 60m at the England Indoor Championships 2025, who is now placed second in the UK in her age group.
At the heart of BRATโs success is its dedicated coaching team of volunteers, who run training sessions from the University of Birmingham Athletics Track. Now, the club is seeking new coaches who are ideally ex or current athletes, but with passion for the sport being the most important criteria.
โWeโre passionate about being a welcoming and inclusive club with high aspirations for all of our athletes. The work of the volunteer coaches who guide the juniors in their training is truly remarkable.
Christopher Davy, BRAT chair
โItโs incredible to see athletes of all abilities develop their passion and ability in the sport. Weโre really proud of the junior teamโs commitment and their training efforts are paying off, with some podium and huge top 10 finishes so far this year from athletes as young as nine up to age 18.โ
The club runs on the dedication of its volunteers and parents who also support training sessions. This includes Sukhjinder Singh, dad of 10-year-old Avleen Kaur Chahal โ an athlete diagnosed with ASD and a speech and language disorder.
โAvleen joined BRAT a year ago and is flourishing in its inclusive, family-friendly environment. With the support of her coaches Cat and Matt, and a friendly group of athletes, BRAT has been a welcoming space where she feels included and empowered.โ
The club is also working with the Para Athletics Co-ordination Team at England Athletics to remove barriers to success for athletes with disabilities. The U15 teamโs Joseph Millward is a visually impaired athlete with a disability classification, who is currently training with BRAT to reach his full potential in a range of track and field disciplines.
โIn recent decades weโve grown into one of the regionโs most respected, successful clubs. We have over 30 qualified coaches delivering sessions to hundreds of junior athletes three times a week. Everyone at BRAT is a volunteer and it is to the credit of the coaching team that we have achieved so much recent success. There is never a time of the year where something isnโt happening. From track & field in the summer to cross-country, road-running and sportshall athletics in the colder months, itโs a busy schedule but the successes weโve seen in 2024 and 2025 so far are testament to the effort of both our volunteers and athletes.
Colin Bailey, BRAT junior athletics coordinator
โWe simply couldnโt run without the dedication of our volunteers, so if you have a passion for encouraging young people of all backgrounds into sport, weโd encourage you to get in touch.โ
To find out about volunteer opportunities, email juniors_marketing@bratclub.co.uk
Watch the BRAT junior team at our recent track and field season opener in April โ https://youtu.be/_Kd0kCW1Fj8?si=ghH6vnv1FsrqW1bR
