Jake Norris and Charlotte Payne were both named National Athletics League field athletes of the year for 2026, retaining the titles they won last year, while Thames Valley Harriers and City of Sheffield and Dearne AC claimed the Premiership and Championship team trophies.
Jake Norris and Charlotte Payne have retained their top individual prizes at the 2026 National Athletics League (NAL) Awards, with the two hammer throwers again named Male and Female Field Athlete of the Year respectively – Norris's third season running with the title.
The awards are decided by the best performance according to World Athletics' points-scoring tables across all track and field events during the season. Norris threw 76.29m at Woodford on July 11 for 1145 points, while Payne threw 71.82m at Eton on August 22, worth 1123 points.
Both athletes are also recipients of the David Jeacock Memorial Bursary for their 2026 seasons. Jeacock was long-serving secretary of the former British Athletics League until his death in 2019, as well as solicitor to England Athletics, legal officer of the BAL and a member of Swindon AC, and played a key role in changing the governance of the sport. The bursary awards £500 each to one male and one female athlete from an NAL club who have competed in at least two fixtures during the season.
Payne's season included an unbeaten run of 15 hammer victories in NAL matches, counting guest appearances as well as club competitions, while Norris remained unbeaten in 11 NAL hammer competitions.
Payne was also one of two athletes to break all-time league records this season, earning a further £500 cash prize for a mark that stood until the end of the campaign. Her 71.82m throw was the best-ever women's hammer performance by a point-scoring club athlete in the competition's history, which dates back to the old UK Women's Athletics League in 1975 – even though she has thrown further as a guest, with 72.51m at Eton in 2023.
The other record-breaker was Tonbridge's Ted Higgins, who clocked 3:38.75 for 1500m at Eton, eclipsing the 3:38.9 set by 1990 Commonwealth medallist Ian Hamer on August 5, 1989. That was not quite enough to land the Male Track Athlete of the Year award on points, however, with Birchfield Harriers' Jake Minshull taking that prize for his 49.97 in the 400m hurdles at Eton. Hannah Brier was named Female Track Athlete of the Year for Swansea Harriers after winning the 400m in 52.23 at Woodford.
Thames Valley Harriers won the Premiership Champions Trophy for 2026, with City of Sheffield and Dearne AC champions of the Championship.
READ MORE: Thames Valley win Premiership title
Norris, Payne, Minshull and Brier had each already won £125 cash prizes during the season after being named Athlete of the Match for their respective rounds. Payne, who was Athlete of the Match on two occasions, ends the season with a total prize pot of £1,250 once the £500 bursary and £500 league-record award are added, while Norris collects £625 in total.
2026 NAL Awards
Male Field Athlete of the Year – Jake Norris (WSEH), 76.29m hammer
Female Field Athlete of the Year – Charlotte Payne (Harrow), 71.82m hammer
Male Track Athlete of the Year – Jake Minshull (Birchfield Harriers), 49.97 400m hurdles
Female Track Athlete of the Year – Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers), 52.23 400m
Premiership Champions Trophy – Thames Valley Harriers
Championship Champions Trophy – City of Sheffield and Dearne AC
David Jeacock Memorial Bursary – Jake Norris (WSEH), 76.29m hammer, and Charlotte Payne (Harrow), 71.82m hammer
