Do I need a licence to run a road race, and what's the difference between a permanent and a temporary licence?

Question

Accepted Answer

Yes. For any race on the ASA national or provincial fixtures list you must either hold an ASA licence or buy a temporary licence for that race (ASA Rule 24.3). Fun runs of 8km or less are the exception.

	Permanent licence	Temporary licence
Where you get it	Only through a registered athletics club, after signing an ASA registration form	From the race organiser, for one race
Valid for	1 January to 31 December	Only the race it was issued for
Medical insurance	ASA medical cover, subject to the policy terms	None; you must sign an indemnity
Individual and age-group prizes	Yes	Yes, if you entered the category, wear the age tags and can prove your age on the day
Team prizes	Yes	No
Distances	Any	Up to the standard marathon (42.2km)
ASA national championships and inter-provincial competitions	Yes	Not allowed

Using a temporary licence for a race other than the one it was issued for means immediate disqualification and may be treated as fraud. Temporary licences for ultra-marathons are only sold to foreign athletes. Juniors can be issued a Junior permanent licence (number starting with "J") once the club has verified a copy of their ID.