As the 2024-25 season unfolds, we bid farewell to the University of London Intercollegiate Athletics and Cross-Country Cups—competitions that shaped the foundation of university athletics as we know it today. Without the University of London Athletics Club (ULAC), the landscape of student athletics in London might look very different. Although ULAC no longer exists, its legacy is embedded in subtle yet enduring ways—like the colour purple in LUCA’s branding and even its very name, “London Universities and Colleges Athletics,” a nod to the University of London’s constituent colleges.
This article revisits the rise and fall of ULAC and the iconic intercollegiate championships—a story intertwined with my personal journey in university athletics.
My Beginnings with University Athletics
I joined King’s College London (KCL) as a Neuroscience Master’s student in 2013, fresh off the inspiration of the London Olympics. I was eager to take up sprinting and joined KCL Running, which, at the time, focused primarily on distance running. There were no sprint or field teams. This was a common story across UL colleges like UCL, whose athletes primarily trained, like us, at Regent’s Park without dedicated facilities for sprinters or field events.
Back then, KCL and UCL athletes didn’t compete at BUCS as independent universities. Instead, top performers from UL colleges were selected to represent the University of London Athletics Club (ULAC). While specific records of ULAC’s origins are scarce, the club likely emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century. Its home track was the Motspur Park athletics stadium, built in 1928 and host to the storied intercollegiate and united hospitals championships. However, by 1996 the track was decommissioned, and the stadium was sold to Fulham FC in 1999.
By the time I joined, ULAC was primarily a vehicle for BUCS selection and the organization of the intercollegiate championships. These competitions were crucial for college athletes, offering the sole opportunity to compete and potentially qualify for selection for BUCS.
The Intercollegiate Championships and Beyond
My first foray into university athletics came at the 2014 intercollegiate championships, which was held indoors at Lee Valley. The championships had been held indoors since 2010, after years at Parliament Hill and Motspur Park. Although my KCL team harboured dreams of medalling in the 4×200 relay, we finished a disappointing fourth. Compounding the frustration was the lack of opportunities to redeem ourselves.
That disappointment sowed the seeds for a new competition inspired by the London Colleges Cross-Country League (LCL) and UL Indoors. I proposed the London Colleges Athletics Series (LCAS), a three-match series spanning March to May. The series mirrored the Diamond League format, with athletes accumulating points across events. With the support of the ULAC committee, chaired by Catherine Lovegrove, and a dedicated organizing team, LCAS became a reality. Matches were held at Tooting, Lee Valley, and Battersea, culminating in a hard-earned relay victory for King’s—a moment of pride as we claimed the inaugural LCAS title.
LCAS eventually merged with the LCL, giving birth to LUCA—a story for another day. But LCAS did more than foster competition; it reignited interest in track and field at King’s and other UL colleges. However, this newfound focus highlighted a growing tension: ULAC’s central role in BUCS representation limited colleges’ ability to advocate for resources. After consulting with King’s Head of Sport, Andy Alford, we made the difficult decision in 2015 to withdraw KCL athletes from ULAC’s BUCS team. UCL had done likewise a year before.
The Decline of ULAC
The decision marked the beginning of the end for ULAC. That same year, I became ULAC president and removed the mandate that colleges of the University of London must enter athletes to BUCS via ULAC. My vision was to transform the club into a support network for smaller UL colleges. We facilitated shared training agreements and supported athletes from institutions like RVC, Goldsmiths, SOAS, and St George’s to compete at BUCS. At the same time, LUCA was supporting these clubs become sustainable in their own right, with a view that they would someday enter BUCS in their own name.
We had successes, but in subsequent years ULAC struggled to reconcile its historic emphasis on elite athletes with its new mission of inclusivity.
Wider challenges compounded the difficulties. Substantial cuts to the University of London’s activities department stripped ULAC of essential support. The closure of the University of London Union (ULU) in 2013 and the subsequent dissolution of Student Central in 2020 sealed ULAC’s fate. That year, the University of London Athletics Club officially disbanded.
A Legacy Lives On
The end of ULAC hit smaller colleges hardest, leaving a void for athletes without robust college-based clubs. Today, LUCA continues to explore ways to support these athletes, ensuring that opportunities extend beyond the bounds of the University of London.
However, the decision to end the ULAC mandate for BUCS entries had the desired effect of unleashing a surge in participation. Before the mandate was lifted, the number of athletes from University of London colleges entering BUCS XC averaged just 31 per year. In the years following, that number skyrocketed to an average of 117—a testament to the untapped potential and enthusiasm of university athletes when given the freedom to participate for their own college teams. It also enabled UCL, KCL, QMUL, St George’s, RVC, SOAS and other’s to become the flourishing athletics clubs they are today.
But the closure of ULAC also marked the end of the intercollegiate championships—competitions that once epitomised the spirit of university athletics in London. Historically, ULAC provided financial backing for the championships. However, in 2017, this support was withdrawn, and the responsibility for funding shifted to individual college clubs. LUCA stepped in during the post-COVID years, taking on the financial burden to ensure these events could continue. But this year, the clubs voted to end the championships.
As we say goodbye to ULAC and its championships, we honour their legacy—a legacy that laid the groundwork for the vibrant university athletics scene we enjoy today.
Do you have memories of ULAC? We would love to hear from you! We are interested in key dates, people, anecdotes etc to build up a digital history of ULAC for the LUCA website. Please email hello@london-athletics.com with any information.
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