Highlights from 2026 AGM

Here are highlights from our National AGM and workshop on 17^th January with fuller details to come in the March edition of The Veteran.

 This year’s AGM started with a morning workshop. Roger Clarke, CTT’s IT Manager, gave a helpful presentation of the new CTT Live System and timing app including the new facility agreed with VTTA to present veteran results on Age Adjustment. Mark Bradley presented on the rising number of road bikes in time trials and delegates discussed the options and issues arising if we are to include road bikes as a category in championships, season long competitions and for personal awards.  The ideas will be taken forward by the National Forum with a view to proposing regulation changes in 2027. Our President, Tony Farrell, gave a presentation on our strategic challenges. Tony highlighted our need to find new people to fill leadership positions in the NEC and in Groups and the importance of our engagement with members through improved communications, recognition and rewards, and active recruitment and retention helped by better marketing of the Association.

Several changes to the Rules & Regulations were passed.  Items for members to note are:

• Removal of Joint Membership – it was agreed to remove the Joint Membership option from 1^st October 2026 as this has created numerous admin problems for officials and was also inconvenient for joint members who both raced as it restricted access to their details and results on the website. The NEC would migrate current joint memberships to individual memberships.
• Renaming of ‘standards’ awards – as the new system of Age Adjustments is now successfully bedded in, it was agreed to remove references to ‘standards’, and ‘standard tables’ from the Regulations. In line with this change, ‘standard awards’ are renamed as ‘Personal Performance Awards’. A motion by Wessex Group was agreed to save the need for members to claim these awards by automatically claiming their best improvement. A member with multiple improvements at a distance would still be able to claim a slower improvement if they chose.
• New Track Records – two new track record distances of 1km and 3km were added for outdoor track records. It was hoped this would build on the success of the track event held in Dundee in 2025 which saw 11 new age records at 5km.

The Chairman also highlighted some other notable changes for 2026.

• New direct debit facility - so far 30% of renewals for 2026 have been by the new direct debit facility, an encouraging take-up. Members are encouraged to use this facility when joining or renewing.
• National Championships – From 2026 all championship medallists will receive their ‘real’ medal at a championship, rather than a ‘dummy’ and having to wait to the end of the season to be sent an engraved medal.
• Season Long Competitions - members currently need to tick boxes on their profile to enter the Competitions. It was agreed to look into automatically entering members even though they may not complete the necessary qualifying events. 

All in all, a positive and constructive AGM with important ideas and changes discussed and actioned for the future of the Association.